Still in Love With You
by SClownzZzZz
Summary: Vidcund and Isabella find their relationship the talk of the town after they are caught kissing at Vidcund's mayoral inauguration party. Ripp wants Isabella back while Circe is determined to get revenge. Meanwhile, Crystal finds herself with more than what she bargained for when she promises Erin she will spare Loki, following his destruction of the city. R&R.
1. A Pleasant Beginning (For Once)

It's been nine years since I posted the first chapter of the story that started this saga: _Strangetown, Meet the eXtremes,_ and I am proud (and somewhat surprised) that this fanfiction saga is still going on! I officially wrote the ending for _Welcome to Slavestown_ over two years ago, and since then I have written three stories for the archive. Honestly, I was nervous for a while to start this fanfiction due to its monstrous planning sheet, but I've missed these characters and the series' avid readers, and there's no better time than now to get this fourth story started! The title of this chapter adverts to the fact that none of the previous stories in this series began on a positive note. This story features the biggest collection of Strangetown sims than any of its predecessors, but it mostly centers around Isabella and the Curious brothers with Crystal, Loki, Circe, and Ripp having fairly large secondary roles.

Thank you everyone for your patience, and I hope you enjoy the first chapter of this long-awaited fic! As always, feel free to leave me a review telling me what you think, I'd really appreciate it! :D

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own The Sims.

* * *

 **Still in Love With You** by SClownzZzZz

 _Chapter 1 – A Pleasant Beginning (For Once)_

Isabella eXtreme is lying down on Pascal's bed, alone, staring up at the ceiling. She sighs, her mind going a mile a minute as the events of the last year race through her brain. She thinks about college, the war, and the kiss. And how, at the base of it all, she is deeply confused.

Just one year ago, Isabella knew exactly what she wanted: She wanted Ripp. But one walk in the woods changed everything, and soon, she found herself with three new roommates and up against the most nefarious man in the city.

And she found herself falling in love again.

Deep down, she knew her relationship with Ripp had been diminishing. Perhaps her crush on Vidcund was just the final nail in the coffin to end it for good. And although she would do the same things all over again, at this moment, Isabella can't help but yearn for a time when things were simple.

Isabella sighs once again as she sits up against the bedframe. She stands up and creeps towards the open doorway, passing by a peacefully-sleeping Amelia in the process. Isabella slowly peeks around the corner, looking both ways before she enters the empty hallway.

"Hey Izzy, is there anything you would like to tell me?" a voice rings out behind her, causing the young woman to shriek and nearly collapse in response.

Isabella quickly turns around, her hand placed on her rapidly-beating chest, as she locks eyes with her best friend, Kea. "Kea! How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that?!" Isabella cries, her heart rate slowly decreasing, "That's the second time today you've scared the pants off of me!"

Kea scrunches her forehead, clearly perplexed by this statement. "But…you don't wear pants," Kea replies, gesturing down at Isabella's pink shirt and black and white argyle skirt combo. "Anyway, since we're getting a tad off topic here, I'll ask once more: Is there anything you would like to talk to me about?" she asks.

"Uh…what do you mean?" Isabella wonders, suddenly feeling quite awkward.

"Well," Kea sighs, taking a step towards her friend, "I saw something last night on the roof that I thought you may want to tell me."

Isabella's stomach drops, knowing exactly what Kea is referring to, but hoping her friend won't press her further. "And what exactly did you see?"

Kea sighs, before reaching into Pascal's bedroom and taking two alien figurines out of Amelia's toy box. She holds one in each hand in front of her torso. "You know, something like this," she begins, holding up one doll and making her voice ridiculously low, "Thanks for saving my life, hot face," she grunts, speaking for the male doll, before holding up the female doll in her right hand, "No prob, the city needs you, you super hunk!" she squeaks, bringing her voice up a register. She moves the male doll up and lowers her voice again, "Ooh Izzy, I can't live without you," she coos, then switches back to the female doll, "Ooh Vidcund, kiss my face!" Kea cries, before holding the male doll up again, "With pleasure!" she shouts in a super-masculine voice, before crushing the dolls together repeatedly and making kissing noises.

Isabella pushes Kea's arms down, her face in a line. "Please don't ever do that again," she states.

Kea turns slightly, placing the dolls back into the toy bin, before grabbing Isabella by the arm and lowering her voice to a whisper. "Why didn't you tell me that you still like him?" she asks, a hurt expression on her face.

Isabella sighs, "Because I don't, Kea."

Kea rolls her eyes up at the ceiling, "Yeah," she says sarcastically, "I could sure tell that yesterday when you were feasting on his face!" Isabella steps back, letting out a heavy huff as she turns away from her friend. "Look at you, going after the Mayor of Strangetown. Admit it, it's for the free cheese, isn't it?" Kea remarks, pointing her finger in Isabella's face. Izzy crosses her arms. "It's okay, I'm not judging. I'm sure a lot of people think I'm with Tank cause of the meat baskets!"

"Kea," Isabella sighs once more, hoping to put an end to this confrontation, "I don't like Vidcund, okay?"

Kea moves her eyes behind her and smiles, "Oh, hey Vidcund!" she beams.

Isabella shrieks and hides behind the doorframe, her heart pounding. After a few moments of silence, Isabella slowly opens her eyes and scans the area, finding only the two of them in the hallway. Isabella looks to Kea, her best friend sporting a sassy smirk on her face with her arms crossed.

"That…doesn't prove anything," Isabella states between breaths.

"This doesn't prove what now?" Pascal speaks up, taking a bite of his toast as he walks up behind them.

"Isabella likes your brother," Kea smirks, the girl in question severely blushing at this comment.

"I knew it!" Pascal chimes, pointing his finger at Isabella as he chews another piece of his toast, "Wait, you're talking about Vidcund, right?" he asks.

Kea nods matter-of-factly, "Yep."

"I knew it!" Pascal points his finger at her again.

Isabella crosses her arms, clearly annoyed by the amount of attention this topic is getting. "You guys both don't know what you're talking about," she claims, her face still florid, "I don't like him like that!"

Pascal laughs. " _Right_ ," he states as Isabella trails her eyes to the floor. He places a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Look, don't feel bad, Izzy. A lot of girls like Vidcund," Pascal begins, stopping for a moment to ponder this statement over, "Well, maybe just you and Circe. But sometimes Circe seems like she's five different people-Oh, hey Vidcund!" Pascal greets as a sim walks into the hallway.

"Oh, no," Isabella cries, a hint of irritation in her voice as she stares up at her friends, "I am _not_ falling for that one again-" Isabella turns around, almost bumping against Vidcund's chest. She steps back slightly, nervously rubbing her arm as she stares up at him. "Hi," she squeaks.

Vidcund nods, clearly nervous as well. "Hello."

"Well, we better get going, sounds like you guys have a really important conversation going on here," Pascal remarks, gesturing Kea towards the door.

"Wait, you guys don't have to go!" Isabella cries, holding her hand out towards them.

"Yep, gotta go count my toenails!" Kea chimes, following Pascal into the kitchen, "See ya, peeps!" she waves, holding her hand up towards the ceiling, leaving the two of them awkwardly alone.

Isabella smiles, giving an anxious laugh as she makes eye contact with Vidcund. "Roommates, am I right?" Isabella states, hoping to fill the silence, "What are we going to do with them?"

"Are you avoiding me?"

"What?" Isabella squeaks, pretending to be baffled by this claim, "Why would you say that?" she wonders.

"Well…it's just I haven't you since last night, and this house is ridiculously small," he replies, staring down at Izzy, who can barely look at him, "Look Isabella, it's okay if you were avoiding me," Vidcund states, "I understand yesterday was a lot to take in, but I'm ready to talk about it if you are."

Isabella sighs, knowing that sooner or later she would have to face her feelings. She looks up at Vidcund and nods, "Okay."

"So…we should probably talk about the kiss, huh?" Isabella speaks up, after the two of them sit down beside each other on Vidcund's bed a few minutes later.

Vidcund nods, surprisingly calm and collective since they arrived in the room. "Alright."

"So, um…" Isabella begins, eyeing the closed door separating them from the open hallway, "I guess you like me."

Vidcund smiles and nods once more, "I do."

"You know I like you," Isabella adds, giving him a small smile.

Vidcund beams warmly, "I figured as much."

"Uh…if you don't mind me asking, how long have you felt this way?" she wonders, shyly tracing the striped pattern on Vidcund's bedspread.

"I don't mind at all," he replies, "And I've liked you for a while. I know I wasn't the easiest sim to get along with at the beginning, but you grew on me," Vidcund confesses, "Then, I don't know, after seeing everything that Ripp put you through and watching him push you away – it just really made me mad," he adds, "At first, I thought it was because it reminded me of my relationship with Circe, but then I realized that I was…jealous," he states, his cheeks turning red, "And when we won the war, after you saved me, I knew I had to do something fast, or else I was going to miss my chance," Vidcund reveals, pausing and delicately grabbing her hand. He gives it a gentle squeeze, "Pascal was right," he smiles, "You're just my type."

Isabella smiles, her blush deepening. She turns her head, her shyness getting the best of her. "So, uh, I take it you really like me, huh?" Vidcund speaks up, stroking her knuckle.

"Of course," Isabella says, staring back at him and scrunching her forehead, "Do you not believe me?"

"No, it's not that. It's just – no one's ever been interested in me before," Vidcund reveals, "I mean, not for the right reasons. Usually it's for money or power or café coupons-" Vidcund looks up, noticing Isabella staring at him strangely, "I've had a very sad love life," he laments, holding her hand tighter, "But this'll be different. I can feel it."

"But what if we're just rebounding?" Isabella wonders, asking the question that has been one of her fears for weeks.

"Izzy, when your ex tries to kill you and everyone you care about, you get over them pretty quick," Vidcund replies, a surprising tone of indifference in his voice, "What about you? Do you still like Ripp?"

Isabella sighs, appearing as though she is thinking long and hard about this one as she stares down at the black tile. "I don't know," she answers honestly, giving a sigh, "I don't think so. When he kissed me at the party, I felt like I was going to throw up."

"He kissed you at the party?" Vidcund repeats, his stomach sinking at his news.

"Yeah," Isabella answers, "It was about ten minutes before we kissed. I'm sorry, I should've told you sooner."

"Oh," Vidcund replies, suddenly feeling guilty, "In that case, I should probably tell you-"

"-That Circe kissed you?" Isabella completes for him, "Yeah, I heard. Vidcund, it's fine. It's not like any of that stuff matters anyway, we weren't together then. To be honest, I'm not even sure we're together now," she voices.

"Izzy, you know that I like you," Vidcund states, staring at her warmly, "After all that happened between us, did you honestly think that I wouldn't be interested in pursuing something with you?"

Isabella sighs, staring down at the floor. "But do you actually want to be with me? Or do you think that you have an obligation to because I saved you?" she wonders.

"Izzy, come on," Vidcund sighs, "I could ask you the same thing," he states, moving towards her, "I can assure you that this is more than just physical attraction for me, and you know that. And I can assume that you feel the same way?" he wonders, Isabella nods and squeezes his hand back. "So, if you want to date me and I want to date you – then why don't we just date each other?"

Isabella smiles. "I'd like that," she replies, her attention immediately drawn to Vidcund's response, "Is that what you want?"

"Yeah," he nods in approval, "I can do this. I can have a real relationship." Isabella beams, seeing the excitement bubbling up in his body as he squeezes her hand once again. She smiles, "But are you sure you want to do this?" he wonders, "Once our relationship gets out, it's going to be all over the press. We won't be able to go out in public without creating a scene, and you may get a few death threats," he adds.

"Really?" Isabella chimes, somewhat shocked by this news. Vidcund nods, "Wow. I never knew you were that popular."

"I appreciate the flattering comment, but this kind of thing always happens with public figures," Vidcund explains, "And since I'm the mayor again, whoever I'm with opens themselves up to public scrutiny," he adds, staring down in concern at her, "Do you think you can handle that?"

Isabella exhales and brings her free hand up to her chin, seriously thinking this over. "I, uh…"

"It's okay if you're unsure, Izzy," Vidcund speaks up, a soothing tone in his voice, "This is a big decision. I'll give you time to think about it." Isabella watches as Vidcund gets up from off his bed, twists the door open, and steps into the hallway.

Isabella stares down at the floor and sighs, a guilty feeling forming in the pit of her stomach as she stares up at the open doorway. Isabella gets up from the bed and steps into the hallway, her heart pounding in her chest as she finds it empty. "Vidcund!" she calls out, "Vidcund!"

Nearby, Vidcund steps out of the bathroom, locking eyes with his friend. "Sorry, I had to use the bathroom," he states, scanning the distressed woman over, "What's wrong?" he asks.

Isabella grabs Vidcund by the arm and pulls him towards her. She sighs as she lovingly wraps her arms around him and presses her lips against his, bringing him into their second kiss. Vidcund moans and wraps his arms around Isabella, pulling her close to him.

Isabella pulls back slightly, her eyes shining as she stares at him. "I don't want you to think that I don't want you," she explains, her voice in a gentle whisper.

Vidcund smiles, still taken back by the kiss. "I would never think that," he claims as he shyly turns his head to the side, "Is this a bad time to tell you that I forgot to wash my hands?" Isabella laughs and pulls him in closer. "Yeah, I didn't think so," he states.

The front door creaks open, causing the pair to immediately separate from their embrace. Vidcund stares down at Izzy, who appears rather panicked, and rubs her back comfortingly. "It's okay. We don't have to tell anyone yet," he whispers, flashing her a small, reassuring smile, "This'll just be our little secret."

Isabella nods. If there was one thing Vidcund knew a lot about other than 90s fashion, it was finding solace in bizarre situations, "Whatever you say, Mr. Mayor," she beams, "I trust you completely."

…

Fifteen minutes later, Vidcund walks into the kitchen only to find Pascal feeding applesauce to his daughter, Amelia, in her neon green, alien-themed high chair. Pascal smiles when he sees him and sets down the bowl of applesauce. "Hey Vid, look!" Pascal chimes, picking up the only magazine on the counter and holding it up to his middle brother, "You've been voted Strangetown's Sexiest Bachelor in The Strangetown Monthly!"

Vidcund looks down at the magazine, his face distorting slightly when he eyes the photo of him posing suggestively in an orange speedo on the cover. "Geesh!" he cries, his face filled with horror, "Where did they get that photo of me?" he wonders.

Pascal shifts his eyes from side to side as he nervously fidgets with his hands. "Who knows!" he shrugs, having an incredibly hard time keeping his volume under control, "I mean, I certainly don't!"

"Whatever you do, don't let anyone see that," Vidcund instructs.

Pascal nods, "Right," he states, before gesturing the 'cut it out' expression to Tank, Kea, and Lazlo who are all reading their own copies of the magazine in the nearby living room. At the gesture, Tank and Lazlo both hide their magazines while Kea continues to read hers. She looks up when she notices the other three staring at her strangely.

"Hey, don't blame me! I just read these magazines for the ads," Kea explains, drooling a bit as she turns the magazine over and shows them a photo of a bacon cheeseburger in an advertisement for Carl's Bacon Shack, "With ads like this, who needs a man?"

Close by, Pascal watches as Vidcund paces the kitchen, fiddling with his hair and looking like a nervous wreck. "I don't get it, Vid, why are you so on-edge about this?" Pascal asks, narrowing in on his brother and tapping the magazine cover, "You should be proud of your achievement! You had some real competition there with me and Ajay Loner," Pascal lightly shakes his head and sighs, "Such a loner…"

"Pascal, you know I don't like this kind of attention," Vidcund remarks, holding himself shyly as he says this, "I don't want my supposed relationship status to be broadcast for the world to see! This is a nightmare for someone like me!"

"Gee, is there really that much of a shortage of singles in this town that they have to resort to broadcasting it on magazine covers?" Kea states, bewildered as she glances over the magazine.

Pascal nods, "Yeah, there's a serious shortage of women in Strangetown. Or I should say, _dateable_ women in Strangetown," Pascal informs her, "And I guess I could say the same thing about the men. I mean, if it weren't for myself, it would be pretty sad, right?" Pascal pauses, glancing over at the group for an objection, "Right guys?" he desperately chimes once more.

Tank, Kea, and Lazlo silently exchange glances with each other. Pascal slumps his shoulders, feeling rather down as Vidcund walks up behind him and pats him on the shoulder. "You're a serious catch, man," Vidcund says.

"Really?" Pascal awes, "Would you date me?"

Vidcund steps leans back, quickly taking a step away from him. "Don't make this weird," he states, turning slightly when he notices Isabella walk into the living room. "Anyway, I'm glad everyone's present, because now that we have some guests living here, I feel as though it's important for us to establish some house rules," Vidcund begins, turning towards the six sims in the room, "Rule number one – and this should be a given – everyone has to wear pants in all communal areas of the house."

"Aww! You're no fun!" Pascal groans, as he takes a seat down next to Lazlo.

"This includes the kitchen, the living room, the TV room, the chess room, the hallway, anywhere outside, and I swear to Will Wright that I will kill you if you don't wear pants in the greenhouse," Vidcund warns, glaring at Pascal, "And if you're not wearing clothes in any of the other areas that I did not list – please, please, _please_ shut the door," Vidcund cries, before he and Pascal stop and look to their youngest brother.

"What are you guys looking at me for?" Lazlo squeaks.

"-Naked Day," Pascal answers, sassily crossing his arms over his torso.

"Naked Day was a one-time thing that was created for the sole purpose of me not wanting to do the laundry," Lazlo explains, throwing his hands up, "And it _worrrked_!" he sings, the sound of the front door swinging open ringing through the premises.

Crystal steps into the room and gives a small wave. "Hey guys, sorry if I'm interrupting, but I just need to talk to the mayor really quick," Crystal explains with a smile.

"That's fine. We'll just pick this up later," Vidcund replies, giving a nod Isabella, who takes the hint and dismisses the others across the room, "What's up?" he asks as Crystal approaches him, he and his brothers now the only three house residents left in the area.

"I just wanted to invite all three of you guys to my birthday party this weekend," Crystal responds, reaching into her purse and handing Vidcund a beautifully-decorated, pastel-colored invitation. "I've never had one ever, so I'm really excited about it," she explains as Vidcund stares down at the piece of floral cardstock, "Oh, and you can bring Isabella if you want," she tells him, "Just try to keep things PG, I don't want a lot of press at my party."

Vidcund smiles and locks eyes with his adviser. "I think we can control ourselves," he nods.

Beside him, Pascal laughs. "Psh, yeah right!" he chimes.

Vidcund narrows his eyes, seemingly irritated by his older brother. He sighs and turns back to Crystal, "Great," he states, "Anything else?"

"Actually, yeah," Crystal replies, lowering her voice slightly, "I went by The Strangetown Correctional Facility today, and they're severely tight on space, so the council has to decide by the end of next week whether to execute Loki or put him up for parole."

Vidcund crosses his arms, exhaling through his nose. "Well, that's easy-"

Pascal takes a step closer to the pair and says the words, 'put him up for parole' at the same time Vidcund says 'execute him'. Vidcund turns to Pascal, a look of pure shock on his face.

"Well," Crystal speaks into the silence, "looks like we're going to have a lot to talk about on Monday. It should be interesting. I'll see you this weekend at my birthday party!" Crystal announces, before throwing her purse back over her shoulder and walking out the door, leaving Pascal and Vidcund to loom in awkward silence.

Vidcund folds his arms as he thinks about the first twenty-four hours he's now been in office, "So much for a smooth beginning," he mutters, wandering over to the kitchen counter.


	2. Strangetown Scramble

**Still in Love With You**

 _Chapter Two – Strangetown Scramble_

Pascal is sitting at the kitchen counter, staring deep in thought out the back window as he grips his cup of coffee. Pascal sighs and takes a sip of it, the house surprisingly quiet at nine in the morning. Vidcund walks up to the counter, stopping a few feet away from his brother. He stares down at him. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asks.

Pascal continues to stare forward, playing with his lip slightly as he ponders this over. "Not particularly," he answers, having no idea how to face this conundrum, "I'd rather talk about this," Pascal begins, holding up the newest issue of The Strangetown Monthly.

"Talk about what?" Vidcund wonders, before locking eyes with the magazine. The cover shows a full-blown snapshot of him and Isabella kissing at his inauguration party. "-Ooh," Vidcund states, feeling rather deflated by their private encounter now captured for the entire world to see, "Well, they can do anything with photoshop, right?" he squeaks.

Pascal crossing his arms, raising an eyebrow skeptically. "No," he says, "And you're lucky I'm the only one here who's seen this."

"Why?" Vidcund says, "It's not like it's a surprise to anyone who lives here."

"Uh-huh," Pascal nods, "And doesn't Ripp live here?" he reminds his brother.

"Oh...yeah," Vidcund remembers, pacing towards the opposite end of the counter, "I must've forgotten since I didn't see him around yesterday. Huh," Vidcund states, awkwardly staring around the room and tapping his fingertips against the linoleum surface, "Maybe he's in the basement."

"Face it Vid, this photo only proves something I've known all along," Pascal smirks, placing the magazine cover back on the counter, "that you're physically incapable of having female friends."

"That is not true," Vidcund replies, folding his arms over his torso, "What about Crystal?" he asks.

"-She's Lazlo's girlfriend, it doesn't count," Pascal states smugly.

Vidcund sighs and continues to pace back and forth in front of him, "What about Margaret?"

"-She's eighty!"

"That still counts," Vidcund responds in-point, "Plus, Circe and I were friends for a long time without anything romantic going on," he adds.

Pascal rolls his eyes, "That's because you guys were six, and as soon as you two hit puberty, you pounced on each other!" he exclaims, "Come on Vidcund, you know you'll never be able to be just friends with Isabella – she's too cute."

"Do you think she's cute?" Vidcund wonders, immediately turning his head at his brother's response.

Pascal shrugs. "Eh, she's not really my type. That and she knows too many embarrassing things about me," he adds as Vidcund nods in agreement, "But you, you want to get on top of her, don't you? You want to be her little lovemuffin?"

Vidcund's eyes widen as the former scientist starts blushing profusely. "What?" he squeaks, "I am _not_ having this conversation with you!" he proclaims, reaching over the counter and swiping the latest issue of The Strangetown Monthly. Vidcund takes off down the hallway, almost knocking into Isabella, who is stepping out of the bathroom, in the process. Isabella smiles when she sees him.

"Well, if it isn't Strangetown's Sexiest Bachelor!" she beams, staring up at Vidcund.

"Oh, uh…you saw that, huh?" Vidcund replies, suddenly feeling quite shy in front of her. He steps back and rubs the side of his arm, "Look, I'm really glad you're here, cause we have a bit of a problem on our hands," he begins, still gripping onto the spine of the magazine, "Remember when we wanted to keep the two of us dating a secret from everyone?"

Isabella nods, her face now filling with panic. "Yeah."

"Well, apparently we didn't do a very good job," Vidcund remarks, holding up the magazine cover. Isabella grabs the magazine from him, her eyes widening in shock when she eyes the two of them gracing front and center on the cover.

"Oh no, this is bad!" Isabella shrieks, "This is not the way to announce that your ex is seeing someone!" she cries, pacing the floor, "Or that your daughter is dating the mayor!" she adds, her stomach dropping even further, "We gotta get rid of these magazines before Ripp sees them! I don't want him to find out about us this way, I have to be the one to tell him!" she screams, getting more panicked by the second, "And then there's my parents – Oh man, my dad is going to kill me-"

Vidcund steps forward, gently grabbing Isabella by the arms. The young woman stops pacing and looks at him. "Isabella, calm down. It's okay," he assures, "Everything is going to be fine. We'll just gather up everyone we can trust and have them hide these things until we're ready to go public."

Isabella cocks her forehead, troubled, "You really think it'll work?" she wonders.

"Well, it's worth a shot," Vidcund states with a shrug before pulling her into an embrace, "Don't worry, you and I are in this together. We'll get through this. We've been through worse," he reminds her.

"You're right," Isabella nods, pulling away from the hug slightly to give him a small smile. "Now I gotta get to my parents' house before they see that cover!"

…

Fifteen minutes later, Pascal, Kea, Lazlo, and Tank are sitting in the living room, staring at the newest issue of The Strangetown Monthly. Kea shakes her head as she sets down the magazine with her right hand and continues to scroll through her phone with the left. She pauses to address the others, "You know, for someone who dresses super conservatively, there sure are a lot of naked pictures of Vidcund on the internet," Kea states. Everyone in the room immediately looks up at her, sporting bizarre looks on their faces. Pascal raises an eyebrow, "What?" she chimes, suddenly feeling defensive, "It's not like I searched for them!"

"Yeah," Pascal nods, "There was a big scandal that broke out a few years ago during Vidcund's second term in office that was referred to as The Naked Photo Scandal,'" Pascal explains, turning towards the young townie, "Basically, someone hacked into the council members' private accounts and leaked all their photos on the internet. Luckily for me, I don't keep photos like that on my email, but Circe and Loki lost their main careers because of it," Pascal continues, "And now there's a bunch of naked pictures of all three of them on the internet."

"Yeesh, the public sucks," Tank replies, setting his magazine on the desk behind him.

Pascal nods in agreement, "Tell me about it," he says as Isabella walks by them, her lavender purse swung over her shoulder. "Wow, Izzy. I'm surprised you're going out today."

Isabella stops and tilts her forehead, "What do you mean?" she asks, turning towards the eldest scientist.

"Well, a major publication just publicized you and Vid's relationship. The press is going to be all over you. I would lay low for a while," Pascal advises, eyeing puzzled expression that is spread across Isabella's face.

"Come on Pascal, don't you think that's a bit of a stretch?" Isabella replies, a hint of doubt in her eyes, "I'm just a normal resident."

"Maybe yesterday you were, but today you're the mayor's love interest," Pascal notes, holding up the magazine and pointing at the cover. Isabella sighs, "Look Izzy, the public may respect Vidcund as a political leader, but socially…anything goes," he warns, "so prepare to have your private life publicly known."

"Thanks for the advice, Pascal, but I think I'll be fine," Isabella states, before tightening the grip on her purse strap and walking out the door.

Pascal sighs, shakes his head, and stares at the others. "Well, she's doomed," he concludes.

"Hey guys!" Ripp beams, walking through the back door, missing Isabella by a mere three seconds.

"Ripp!" Pascal shrieks, the four situated residents quickly hiding their magazines from him, "Where have you been? No one's seen you for the last twenty-four hours."

"Well, I stopped by my dad's house to pick up some of my belongings and now I'm on my way to see Johnny," Ripp explains, setting his teal suitcase down on the tile. He scans the room and scrunches his eyebrows, the smile not leaving his face, "Has anyone seen Isabella?"

"You just missed her," Lazlo replies, gesturing his thumb over his shoulder, "She left a minute ago."

"Damn," Ripp curses under his breath, his hands on his hips, "Oh, well. I guess I'll just see her tonight then," Ripp notes, his demeanor surprisingly cheery, "I'll grab some water and head out," Ripp begins, turning towards the refrigerator.

Pascal eyes widen when he notices one of the magazines sprawled out on the kitchen counter. Thinking quickly, he gets up and jumps on top of it, lying down on the counter in the classic Sims 2 lounging position. Seeing this, Ripp steps back suddenly, a strange look spreading across his face. Pascal shifts his eyes, "What? You've never seen a grown man sprawled out on a counter before?" he questions.

"Unfortunately, I have to answer no to that question," Ripp sighs, the situation bringing forth a collection of odious childhood memories. He shudders and shakes his head, "Man, that was one traumatic childhood," he states, before reaching into the refrigerator and grabbing a water bottle. He closes the refrigerator door and waves to the others, "I'll see you guys later," he says.

The four sims in the room watch as Ripp exits out the back door. Pascal shakes his head and tisks, "Well, he's doomed."

…

Five minutes later, Isabella smiles as she walks along the Road to Nowhere towards her oddly-shaped childhood home, the brisk air around her surprisingly pleasant. Isabella walks past the shopping center and turns her head slightly, noticing a few sims stopping in their tracks to stare at her. " _Why is everyone looking at me?_ " she mutters. The young woman treks forward, suddenly feeling rather self-conscious as even more sims start to do the same. Isabella nods and awkwardly waves at a few of them, butterflies forming rapidly in her stomach.

A few minutes later, Isabella arrives at her family's residence. She stops next to the mailbox and opens the hatch, her eyes widening when she sees a copy of The Strangetown Monthly at the top of the stack. She scans the area, paranoid, and throws the magazine into the residential trashcan. Isabella moves forward and knocks on the white wooden front door, looking behind her shoulder every chance she gets.

"Uh, Izzy?" a voice speaks out behind her.

Isabella turns her head only to realize that she is doing air knocks in front of her teenage brother's face. She draws her fist back, slightly embarrassed. "Oh, sorry," she apologizes, before immediately pulling her youngest sibling into a hug, "Louie!" she beams, locking him in a tight squeeze, the impact of the hug causing Louie's glasses to shift on his face, "How are you? I haven't seen you in forever!"

"Izzy, stop," Louie moans, his face turning bright red as the hug starts messing up his short brown hair as well, "you're embarrassing me!"

"Sorry," Isabella says, quickly releasing her brother, "I just haven't seen you in so long," she explains, stepping back slightly, "What have you been up to?"

"I should ask you the same thing. I heard you've been making quite the splash lately," Louie states, gesturing his older sister into the house. The pair stop to converse in the living room, "Is it true that you're dating one of the Curious brothers?"

Isabella's stomach drops. "Uh, where did you hear that?" she states, giving a nervous laugh, "It wasn't from Dad, was it?"

Louie shakes his head, "No," he answers, shooting a small smile, "Brent told me."

" _Damn it, Brent_!" Isabella curses over her shoulder.

"What?"

"Never mind," Isabella states, turning back to her brother, "So, you never told me what you've been up to. What did you end up picking as your aspiration?"

"Knowledge," Louie responds, his smile growing.

"Ah," Isabella replies, her brother's drilling suddenly making sense, "So that's why you're interested in the Curious brothers."

Louie nods, "Yeah," he confirms, "I hear you spend a lot of time with Vidcund. Are you doing research with him?" he asks.

"Uh…yeah," Isabella replies, bringing her hand up ponderously to her chin, "I guess you could call it that."

"Isabella," a familiar stern voice sounds from behind her. Isabella turns around only to find her father, Alban, approaching them. "When did you get here?" he wonders, pulling his daughter into an embrace.

"A few minutes ago," Isabella says as her father takes a step away from her, "I came here to see everyone."

"Ah," Alban nods, "Well, unfortunately it's just the two of us here right now. Your grandmother is teaching her defense class at the community center and your mother just left to go grocery shopping," he reveals, crossing his arms over his torso, "So, where are you living these days?" he wonders.

"Uh…" Isabella begins, she closes her eyes and slowly points out the window at a random canary yellow house down the street. Alban and Louie turn to look out at the residence.

"Ooh, that's a nice house," Louie comments, "Are you renting it with some friends?"

Isabella scrunches her forehead and awkwardly rubs the back of her neck. "Well, actually-"

"So, when are we going to meet this new boyfriend of yours?" Alban butts in, Isabella's mouth opening a tad in shock at this sudden bombshell.

"Wha-what are you talking about?" Isabella chimes, barely able to push the words out of her body.

Alban reaches over to the coffee table and grabs the newest issue of The Strangetown Monthly. He gestures down at the glossy cover. "I assume this young man is your boyfriend?" he deduces, tapping his finger on Vidcund's face.

Isabella sweatdrops. "I uh-suppose so," she reacts, slowly closing her mouth.

"Perfect. Bring him over next week for dinner, I can't wait to meet him," Alban replies, the stern expression not leaving his face.

Isabella nods, her stomach dropping at her father's somewhat chilling invitation. "Okay," she states, mentally kicking herself for this agreement, "I'm sure he'll love it."

…

An hour later, Isabella swings open the door of the Curious residence and steps into the living room, her head hanging in disgust. She sighs and looks up at the brothers who are all happily conversing with one another at the kitchen counter. Isabella shakes her head, hoping to shake off all the negativity she is feeling before joining them. She sports her best fake smile and sits down next to Vidcund.

"Hey, how have you been?" Vidcund wonders, "I haven't seen you since this morning."

"I've been alright," Isabella nods, though her anguished facial expression suggests otherwise. Isabella stops suddenly, waiting until Pascal and Lazlo get into a heated debate over whether or not household appliances can turn evil before nudging Vidcund in the side. She lowers her voice as he turns to gaze at her. "My dad saw the magazine," she whispers.

"You mean you didn't get to it in time?" Vidcund softly replies, somewhat frantic.

Isabella shrugs. "I confiscated the first one, but I forgot about the second subscription that my mom set up for my grandmother last year," Isabella replies, "Long story short, my dad wants you to come over next week for dinner."

"That doesn't sound so bad."

Isabella tilts her forehead, shooting Vidcund a dubious look. "Vidcund, this is my dad we're talking about here. He doesn't like anyone I date," Isabella reminds him, "The first time I brought a guy over, he left crying."

"Izzy, I'm a public servant," Vidcund states calmly, placing his hand over her own and lacing his fingers between hers as he gives a reassuring smile, "I'm sure I can handle it."

Isabella nods, his tranquil demeanor causing her to relax slightly as Lazlo taps on the counter, hoping to catch their attention. "So, are we all going to the party?" he wonders, pouring himself a glass of orange juice from behind the counter.

"Yeah," Vidcund replies, "Crystal said it's at six. She just has to pick Erin up from the airport first."

Lazlo drops his glass of juice. The cup topples over and spills out on the floor. "Erin's back?!" Lazlo shrieks, his eyes filling with sheer terror.

Isabella tilts her forehead, clearly puzzled by Lazlo's newfound frazzled state as Vidcund bends over to clean up the juice spill. "What's going on? Who's Erin?" she asks.

"Erin is Loki's sister," Pascal answers, wiping off the counter.

Isabella scrunches her forehead, "I didn't know Loki had a sister," she says.

"Yeah," Vidcund responds, sitting back down in his seat as he tosses the soiled dishrag into the kitchen sink, "She left town five months ago to spiritually find herself. But unlike Loki, Erin is actually a nice person."

"Yep," Pascal adds, "and Erin has a gigantic crush on Lazlo. It's super obvious."

Lazlo sighs, rubbing his aching forehead as he props his head up with his elbows on the counter, "It's not that obvious," he comments.

Pascal rolls his eyes at the ceiling. "Oh, please!" he beams, throwing his hands up.

Vidcund turns to Isabella, his demeanor overwhelmingly calm compared to his two brothers. "Strangely enough, Crystal and Erin are good friends," he explains, "And today she's finally coming back."

"Well, at least some good came from today," Isabella states, her head throbbing as she recalls the confrontation with her father.

"Relax, Izzy," Vidcund says, attempting to soothe her as he pats her hand on the counter, "I'm sure everything will work out."

…

Meanwhile, Ripp and Johnny are walking out of the Smith residence after a quick visit with Johnny's parents. "It's always great to see your dad," Ripp smiles as the pair of friends pace down the concrete pathway.

"Yeah," Johnny nods, staring out at the desert scenery as he places his hands into his pockets. "So how have you really been, Ripp?" he speaks up moments later, as they pass by the community pool, "Tell me the truth."

"I've been fantastic," Ripp replies, feeling as though he's already answered this question fifteen times today, "Why do you keep on asking me that?"

"Uh, no reason," Johnny lies, unable to face his best friend's obliviousness just yet, "So, how's it going with Isabella?" he asks.

"Great!" Ripp beams, "We should be getting back together any day now," he reveals, his face lighting up at the thought.

Johnny tilts his forehead, clearly confused, "Really?" he squeaks.

"Yeah, once she sees the house I built her, we'll move in together and start dating in no time!"

"Uh-huh," Johnny stares down at the sand, unsure if he wants to be the bearer of bad news, "But, um, what about my uncle?"

"Vidcund?" Ripp states, his face scrunching distastefully. Johnny nods. Ripp rolls his eyes at the sky, "Ugh, I am so sick of hearing about him and Isabella! There's no way she would ever go for him."

Johnny stops in place, Ripp following suit. "Right," he says disbelievingly, hesitating slightly as he brings his arm up and points behind Ripp, "Then you may not want to turn around."

Ripp whips his head around and stares at the newsstand that Johnny is pointing to. Ripp steps forward, eyeing the front row of magazines that is situated a few feet away from the pair. His eyes widen like saucers as he narrows in on one of the copies of The Strangetown Monthly. Ripp storms over and snatches the magazine from the stand, his world spinning out of control. He stares down at the cover in horror for a few moments, before slowly glancing up at Johnny, his mouth still agape.

"Well, they can do anything with photoshop, right?" Ripp squeaks, asking this question more for himself than his anxious friend.

Johnny gives a nervous chuckle, sounding even less confident than before. "Yeah…" he mutters as he steps back slowly, the young man looking for an exit. Johnny sighs, knowing that he shouldn't encourage Ripp to stay in this state of delusion any longer, "I'm sorry, Ripp."

"Why didn't she tell me?" Ripp speaks out, this question burning in his very soul.

"I guess she didn't want to hurt you," Johnny concludes, stepping towards him.

"Yeah," Ripp adds, blinking a few times in the hopes of holding back his tears, "Well, she sure did a good job of that," he states, tossing the magazine back on the newsstand. He steps back slightly, looking as if he is about to burst into tears at any moment.

"Ripp-" Johnny begins, holding his arm out to his hurting friend.

"I have to go!" Ripp announces, racing down the Road to Nowhere as far as his legs can take him, hoping to seek solace from the only sim who can give it to him as one question screams out in his mind:

 _Why?_


	3. Crystal's Birthday

**Still in Love With You**

 _Chapter Three – Crystal's Birthday_

"Izzy! IZZY!" Ripp cries as he bursts through the front doors of the Curious estate. He races into the hallway, nearly bumping into Tank as he exits the bathroom. "Tank!" Ripp calls, gripping his older brother by the shoulders, "Where's Isabella? I gotta talk to her."

"She went to some party with the Curious brothers," Tank replies, gesturing behind him, "I think it's at Crystal's house."

"Crystal's house?" Ripp repeats, his mind going a mile a minute, "Got it!" he exclaims, giving Tank a quick pat on the shoulder before rushing out the door.

…

Isabella and the Curious brothers step through the entrance of the Single's residence, the house filled with sims and decorations as far as the eye can see. Pascal shrieks as he accidentally walks into a pale pink streamer and ducks behind Vidcund as Techno music continues to blare from the stereos above them.

"Geez, this place is packed! How does Crystal know all these people?" Pascal wonders as the other three continue to survey the scene.

"I don't know," Vidcund states, "I didn't even know there were this many people in the city."

"Ooh! Mini hot dogs!" Pascal chimes as a server carrying a tray of snacks passes by him. "Wait! Get back here, you!" he commands, pointing his finger out before chasing after the server.

Vidcund sighs as he watches Pascal tackle the server to the floor. A few minutes later, Pascal rejoins them under the entrance archway, carrying a fistful of snacks. Pascal finishes his tenth miniature hot dog and turns to Vidcund. "I'm sorry, were you saying something?"

"No," Vidcund replies, "But now that you brought it up, I think it would be a good idea to remind you and Lazlo specifically to not make fools of yourselves at this party."

Pascal rolls his eyes, frantically waving away the thought, "Now when has that ever happened?" he asks, his eyes widening when he spots another server across the room, "Ooh! Pretzel bites!"

" _No_ ," Vidcund firmly states, pulling his brother back by the shoulder, "I am not letting you tackle another server. If you want food, just calmly go over there and ask for some."

Pascal sighs and throws his arms down. "Come on, Vidcund. This is a birthday party! You're supposed to stuff your face and have a good time," Pascal explains, moving Vidcund's hand off his shoulder, "We've been here for two minutes and you're already acting like a stick in the mud. Honestly Vid, I don't think you even _know_ how to have fun!"

"Yes, I do. I have fun all the time," Vidcund responds, "Remember last week when I cleaned out the dishwasher? That was a thrill ride."

Pascal and Lazlo look to each other as Lazlo shakes his head in pity. "Now this is just really sad," he says.

"Look, I just don't want you guys to embarrass me, okay?" Vidcund chimes, quickly changing the subject as he paces away from them slightly, "That's why I think it would be a good idea for all of us to stick-"

Vidcund turns around, only to find Pascal and Lazlo have vanished, Isabella standing awkwardly to the side. She looks both ways and stares back at Vidcund, giving him a shrug.

"-Together," Vidcund completes, letting out a small sigh, "Oh well," he states, wrapping his arm around Isabella and leading her across the room. "Man, look at all these people here," Vidcund comments as the pair stops next to the buffet table in the living room, "Crystal made it seem like there would only be a few."

"Vidcund, you made it!" a voice chimes out next to him as the birthday girl approaches from the kitchen and wraps her arms around the middle Curious brother. Crystal pulls back and gives Isabella a small wave as a young, blonde woman joins Crystal. The birthday girl smiles and gestures to her friend, who is busy thoroughly examining her drink using the ceiling light. "This is Erin. She just got back from Veronaville. And Erin, this is Isabella. She's lives with the Curious brothers," Crystal introduces as Isabella nods and holds out her hand to shake.

Erin narrows her eyes at the red-haired woman, scanning her over from head to toe. "Are you interested in Lazlo?"

Isabella shakes her head, immediately flabbergasted by this question. "No," she states.

"Isabella is my girlfriend," Vidcund speaks up next to her, Isabella strengthens her back a tad at this comment. She blushes.

"Oh," Erin repeats, suddenly appearing very disinterested, "Good for you," she shrugs, turning back to her friend and gulping down the rest of her drink, "Hey Crystal, do you have any hummus?" she asks, stepping away from the couple.

Isabella gazes up at Vidcund, sporting the biggest smile she has all evening, "Want to see how many shrimp I can stuff into my mouth?" she wonders.

"Yes!" Vidcund responds, enthusiastically.

"Come on, I'll show you how I do it!" Isabella states, playfully tugging his arm. She stops in front of the buffet table and picks up the tray of shrimp. "Bet you I can fit twenty of them into my mouth without choking," she smirks, cocking her head in challenge.

"You're on," Vidcund beams, grabbing the tray from her and leading her up the stairs towards the dining room setup on the balcony, "Come on, we need all the table space we can get!"

…

Five minutes later, after Isabella has successfully held and eaten seventeen shrimp in her mouth, she and Vidcund trek down the staircase in search of their next playful bet. "Sorry about that," Isabella says as they round the corner of the staircase, "I'm usually able to get at least twenty. I guess I'm losing my touch."

"That's okay, seventeen was still pretty impressive," Vidcund replies, stopping beside the buffet table, "Who taught you how to do that?"

Isabella smiles, "Kea," she states. Vidcund gives a nod, "Yep. She's a master of all things cuisine," Isabella adds, reaching into the fruit bowl and pulling out a grape. "Hey, put this grape in Pascal's drink," she instructs, subtly gesturing to Pascal, who is standing next to the television a few feet away, "I bet you he won't notice."

"I bet you he will," Vidcund counters, smirking as he takes the green grape from Isabella. He stops suddenly and scans the fruit over in his hand, "Oh wait, it's green. Never mind, he won't notice," Vidcund claims before lowering his arm slightly and tossing the grape into Pascal's drink. It lands promptly on the bottom of the glass, causing a wave of fruit punch to splash onto Pascal's hand, startling the eldest Curious brother.

Pascal looks down at his hand, which is now dripping profusely onto the linoleum floor. He glances up and glares at Vidcund and Isabella, who are unsuccessfully flashing him innocent stares from nearby. "Wow. Really mature, guys," he states.

"You know it," Vidcund replies, quickly turning away from Pascal so he can laugh into his hand. Isabella does the same and the pair paces to the other side of the room.

"Hey, do you think we can squeeze into that closet?" Vidcund proposes, pointing to the small coat closet next to the staircase.

Isabella blushes lightly as she eyes the secluded place. "What happened to not making a fool of ourselves at the party?"

"Eh," Vidcund shrugs, his smile growing, "I feel daring."

"Okay," Isabella nods, still quite shocked by Vidcund's request, "Just let me use the bathroom first." Isabella walks across the room, passing by Crystal and Lazlo in the process. Lazlo groans as he spies Charles Lawson approaching them.

"Crystal! Happy birthday!" he over-enthusiastically states, throwing his arms around his fellow council member. "What's it feel like being twenty-seven?"

Crystal smiles, "Not too different from being twenty-six," she remarks, pulling away from him.

Charles steps closer to her, completely ignoring Lazlo. "So, you ready for Monday?"

Crystal cocks her forehead, "What's Monday?" she wonders.

"You know, when we take out the trash," Charles reminds her, pointing his finger over his shoulder, unaware that Erin has just walked up behind him. "I've been waiting three years for this moment, so we better not screw this up."

"Hey Crystal?" Erin speaks up, still awkwardly hovering around the group, "Do you think I can talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure," Crystal answers, sensing the seriousness in Erin's tone. Charles watches as the two women walk off, leaving him and Lazlo alone in the center of the room.

"It must be hard dating out of your league, huh, Curious?" Charles smirks, grabbing a cocktail from one of the servers.

Lazlo scrunches his forehead. "What?"

"Come on," Charles continues, rolling his eyes at the ceiling, "you know every guy in town is interested in her. What makes you so special?"

Lazlo steps back, suddenly feeling quite awkward, "I don't know about every guy…" he mutters.

"Please! Even the Beakers wanted a piece of her," Charles replies, "Don't you remember when Circe proposed that threesome?" he asks, "Face it, Lazlo, Crystal's not going to stay with you, especially when someone like me is in this neighborhood."

"Wow. Thanks for the pep talk, Charlie. You really made me feel better," Lazlo sarcastically remarks, setting his empty glass on the coffee table and taking off across the room. He storms into the hallway, passing by Isabella, who is exiting the bathroom.

"Not so fast," Vidcund coos, leading Isabella back into the bathroom.

"Vid!" Isabella squeaks as Vidcund wraps his arms around her, pushing his lips onto her own. The couple backs further into the bathroom. Isabella kicks the door closed with her foot, the moment still catching her by surprise as she fully embraces her lover.

…

One floor above, Erin is leading a puzzled Crystal into what used to be her bedroom. Erin sighs as she slams the door shut, clasping her hands together and turning to face her friend. Erin falls on her knees and pleading looks up at the birthday girl. "Please! Please don't do this!"

"Erin," Crystal speaks up suddenly, a confused expression still spread across her face, "What are you talking about?"

"Look, I know he's guilty, okay? But he's still a human being!" Erin cries, "Don't get rid of him!"

Crystal stands up, finally understanding what Erin is getting at. "Erin," Crystal begins, turning towards her, "If I vote to keep your brother alive, the townies will have my head!" she exclaims, "And I really don't want half the neighborhood lingering a grudge against me!"

"Please, Crystal. Please spare him," Erin begs, the young woman nearing tears, "Loki's all that I have. Please don't let him die. He's family!" Erin pleads, the intensity of the situation causing the psychic to burst into tears.

Crystal eyes trail to the floor, having a hard time seeing her friend distraught like never before. Crystal thinks the plea over for a few moments, trying her best to go through all the potential consequences. Finally, Crystal lifts her head up, crosses her arms, and gives a reluctant sigh. "Alright," she nods, "I'll do my best," holding her hand out in promise.

…

Later that night, Lazlo is sitting somberly on the loveseat in the living room, Charles's words echoing in his mind as Erin sits down next to him, obsessively talking about her travels. Lazlo sighs, sprinkling a few impatient "uh-huhs" into the conversation, so he doesn't hurt Erin's feelings. Lazlo eyes Pascal, who is standing across the room. Pascal quickly scans the area before sticking his hand into the chocolate fountain. "Wish I thought of that," Lazlo mumbles.

"Lazlo! There you are!" Crystal announces, stopping in front of her boyfriend, a fruity drink in hand. "Where have you been?"

"I've been here, where were you?" Lazlo snaps, the horrendous evening getting the best of him.

Crystal cocks her forehead, clearly puzzled by Lazlo's response. "What's that supposed to mean?" she wonders.

"Well, I've been here for three hours, and I've only seen you for ten minutes. I guess I must not be a high priority for you!"

"Lazlo, there are hundreds of people here, you can't expect me to spend every waking moment with you!" Crystal reasons, narrowing her eyes at her boyfriend. Lazlo stands up from his seat and matches glares with her.

"That is not what I said at all, are you even listening to me?!"

"Yes!" Crystal exclaims, throwing her arms out, "And you sound ridiculous!"

"If I'm so ridiculous then why don't you just go and hang out with your other boyfriends?" Lazlo fires back, "Oh wait! I forgot that's what you did all evening!"

Crystal's nostrils flare as steam practically spews out of her ears. "That's it! Get out of my house! And take your stupid brothers with you!" she exclaims, pointing to Pascal who is sucking on his chocolate-covered hand across the room as Vidcund and Isabella step out of the closet nearby, "You've done enough to ruin my birthday party! I hope you're happy!"

"You know what Crystal? I'm ecstatic!" Lazlo shouts, the heat of the argument causing multiple onlookers to wander in from other parts of the house, "Cause now I can spend my evening doing something I actually want to do!" Lazlo yells, Crystal's mouth agape at this comment, "Yeah, I said it!"

"GET OUT! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" Crystal cries, fiery in her eyes as she points Lazlo towards the door.

"Fine! Right back at you, sister!" Lazlo remarks as he heads out the door, his housemates awkwardly slipping out behind him. Crystal bursts into tears and slams the door in their faces.

"Well," Pascal speaks up, the four of them standing on the front lawn in silence, "I think that could've gone better."

"What happened?" Vidcund wonders, turning to his younger brother, who is lightly kicking the sand with his feet.

"Nothing," Lazlo states calmly, barely making eye contact, "I just told her the truth," he admits, facing the Road to Nowhere. Lazlo sighs. "How do you dump someone who tore the city apart for you?" he laments, his sentence sounding more like a statement than a question. Vidcund and Isabella turn to each other and shrug, the pair at a loss for words.

…

Twenty minutes later, the four of them trek up the hill and arrive at the front door. Vidcund sighs as he sticks his hands into his pockets, scrounging for his keys before Pascal complains about the cold.

"Izzy, there you are!" Ripp remarks, sitting on one of the outside benches on the second-floor balcony. "Come up here. I want to talk to you!"

"Okay!" Isabella replies as Pascal and Vidcund exchange nervous glances with one another.

Isabella sighs as she treks up the staircase, the handrail surprisingly chilly for being in the middle of a desert. Isabella locks eyes with Ripp, her stomach starting to feel queasy as she wonders whether or not he knows the truth. She sits down on the seat next to him, the warm smile that he is giving her convincing the young woman that he is utterly clueless about her and Vidcund. "What's up?" she wonders.

"I know about you and Vidcund," Ripp replies, his smile instantly fading at these words.

Isabella's stomach twists into a knot. " _What_?"

"I saw the magazine earlier this morning," Ripp states, confirming Isabella's greatest fear, "Why didn't you tell me? Did you honestly think I wasn't going to find out?"

"No, I did," Isabella answers sincerely, "But I thought we'd be able to talk before The Strangetown Monthly got to you," she reasons, "I knew it would be best if it came from me."

Ripp sits back slightly, giving a small nod in response, "Are you seriously into him?" he asks.

"Yes," Isabella nods.

"But what about what you said last year when you told me that you weren't attracted to the Curious brothers?" he recalls.

"Well, I lied," Isabella admits, her face flushing in embarrassment, "I'm sorry."

Ripp nods as he processes this surprising information, his entire love life crumbling around him. "Great. That's absolutely fantastic. I'm so glad you lied to me," Ripp replies sarcastically, standing up from his seat with his arms crossed. He walks further out onto the balcony and turns away from Isabella, unable to look her in the face.

"Ripp," Isabella begins, getting up and reaching a hand out to him, "I'm really sorry, but I can't help how I feel about him."

"I just can't believe that you would do this to me, Isabella," Ripp speaks into the desert air, staring off into the distance, "We were so devoted to each other! We were supposed to be together forever, and you ruined it!" he spits, turning to the side and narrowing his eyes at her.

Isabella steps back slightly, Ripp's icy demeanor unleashing a pure fiery that she has only felt once before, when she stood up to Loki. " _I_ ruined it?" she shouts, "You have this all backwards! I needed you, Ripp, and you left me when I needed you the most!"

"I was trying to protect you, Isabella!" Ripp defends, turning his whole body at this comment, knowing exactly what Isabella is referring to, "If we would've stayed together, Loki would've come after you-"

"Bullshit!" Isabella cries, cutting him off with a wave of her arm, "You knew Kea's red alert and Loki's visit to my parents were attacks on me!" she claims, fire in her eyes, "You just wanted to save yourself!"

Ripp steps towards her, his expression softening at her accusations, "Izzy, that's not true-"

"I don't believe you," Isabella states, turning her back to him, her arms folded as she lowers her chin towards the ground, "Now please, just go away."

Ripp stops in place. Despite what Isabella has said to him, the silence haunts him more than her words. "Okay," Ripp nods, passing by Isabella on his way to the staircase. He stops at the top stair and wraps his hand around the handrail as he locks eyes with his former love, "But everything I did…it was all for you," Ripp reveals. He treks down the staircase leaving Isabella alone with her thoughts.

Isabella blinks slowly as a single tear streams down her face.

"No, it wasn't."


	4. Now You're Stuck With Him!

**Still in Love With You**

 _Chapter Four – Now You're Stuck With Him!_

Isabella is sitting on one of the white wooden lounge chairs on the balcony of the Curious residence, rubbing her aching forehead. Her head is spinning after her arduous confrontation with Ripp. She keeps rewinding the exchange in her mind, wondering where she went wrong and if there's anything worth salvaging in the long run. Isabella is so caught up in her thoughts, she doesn't even flinch when someone places a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," the person greets, just loud enough for the young woman to hear him, "I uh…heard the yelling," Vidcund says, carefully taking a seat on the chair next to her, his face filled with worry, "Are you okay? You've been out here for a while."

"Yeah," Isabella squeaks, barely able to lift her head up, "I just want to be left alone."

Vidcund nods, trying not to overthink the circumstance, "Okay," he states, stopping to stare concerningly at her one last time before trekking down the staircase.

The next morning, Isabella slowly opens her eyes, the sounds of the crisp, desert air gently waking her. She stretches her arms a bit, surprised that she was actually able to fall asleep on a piece of lawn furniture last night. Isabella sighs, her hand brushing up against something fuzzy as she puts her arms down. She looks down, surprised to discover that someone had placed a blanket on top of her during the night to keep her safe from the cold. Isabella gives a small smile and holds the blanket close to her. " _Vidcund_ ," she whispers lovingly.

…

Early Monday morning, Crystal bursts through the doors of the Strangetown city council building with a coffee in hand, her mind reeling over what she is about to do. She stops in front of the main conference room and sighs, hoping to calm herself down before the big vote. Finally, after a few minutes of heavy breathing exercises, Crystal swings open the double doors and steps into the lavish meeting room. She gives a small nod of acknowledgement to the other three members before taking her seat next to Charlie.

"Well, I'm glad everyone was able to make it today," Pascal states from his seat at the head of the table, "We all know why we're here, so let's just get right to it," he continues, adjusting the official papers in his hands, "Today the council is voting on whether or not we should execute Loki Beaker," Pascal reminds him, "If the majority of us vote yes, then obviously he will be executed. If the majority of us vote no, then he will be put up for parole and placed into the hands of a certified citizen. In the event of a tie, we will take a short recess and debate amongst ourselves until we come to a conclusion. Are there any questions?" Pascal wonders.

No one says a word.

"Alright, then let's vote," Pascal says, shuffling the papers in his hands, "All in favor of executing Loki, raise your hands."

The four council members look amongst themselves before Vidcund and Charlie lift their arms up, Vidcund exuberating much more confidence than Charlie.

"Okay," Pascal says, writing down the official tally on a sheet of paper, "All opposed?"

He and Crystal lift their hands up, the young townie's hand shaking as she does so. Vidcund raises his eyebrow at Crystal, surprised by her sudden change of heart.

"Really?" he states.

"I-uh…yeah," Crystal replies as she slowly pulls her arm down to the side. Pascal continues writing up the votes and turns to the others.

"Well, we have a tie at two votes each, so let's take a short recess," Pascal suggests, straightening the papers on the table and sitting up from his seat, "See you back here in twenty."

Crystal watches as Pascal and Vidcund exit the room. She grabs onto Charlie's shoulder, stopping him before he can head out the door. "Charlie, wait! I want to talk to you," she states.

Charlie nods, a slight smirk spreading across his face, "Okay," he agrees, sitting back down in his seat next to her.

"Charlie, don't ask me why, but I really need you to vote with me on this," Crystal pleads, placing her hand over his.

"You're kidding," Charlie remarks, raising an eyebrow, "You want me to save the man who killed half of our people?"

"Look, I know it sounds crazy, okay? But it's the right decision," Crystal replies, trying to convince herself more than her fellow council member of these words, "We shouldn't become like him, we should show mercy. And if you and I vote together the townies will see that."

Charlie stares down at the table, carefully thinking over this proposal. A few moments later, he stares back up at Crystal and releases a heavy sigh. "Alright," he says, "But only because you sound as if your life depends on it."

Fifteen minutes later, Pascal and Vidcund return to the room and rejoin the other council members, prepared to vote once again. "Now that we've had some time to reflect on this matter, let's vote once more," Pascal announces, picking up his pen, "All those in favor of executing Loki, raise your hand."

Vidcund lifts his hand up and looks around, surprised to find himself in the minority as Pascal tallies the vote.

"All those in favor of putting him up for parole instead, raise your hand now," Pascal instructs. He, Crystal, and Charlie raise their hands up, the latter staring at the floor as he does so, purposely ignoring the puzzled stare from Vidcund. "So, it's settled. As of today, Loki Beaker will be put up for parole," Pascal declares, reaching behind his chair and pulling out a thick, manila envelope, "Because we have chosen to spare Loki, I will now read the official rules from the Strangetown City Council regarding this choice."

Pascal clears his voice and opens the envelope, pulling out a thick stack of papers. "In the event that Mr. Loki Beaker is voted to be granted parole by a majority of the city council, he will be released from The Strangetown Correctional Facility and put into sole custody of a certified family member, provided that said family member is a current resident of Strangetown," he reads, "If no family member is available in the city, he will be placed into the care of one of the three or four council members who voted for his freedom. A decision as to who will be made by Loki himself," Pascal continues, "The family member or chosen individual will be responsible for Loki for the length of time that the Strangetown Police Department sees fit," Pascal finishes, taking a deep breath as he scans through the remaining pages of the document, "And the last fifteen pages are just an official outline of all the restrictions Loki now has as a citizen," he states, placing the document back down on the shiny surface, "So, let's take a short recess, so I can tell the police department our decision, and we'll go from there."

Pascal knocks on the table a few times before standing up and exiting into the hallway, Charlie following suit shortly afterwards. Crystal sighs as she rubs her forehead, unsure of what to do. She lifts her head up slightly when Vidcund's shadow casts over her. "I can't believe that just happened," Vidcund states, still in shock about the whole ordeal, "The man killed hundreds of innocent sims and tried to kill me and everyone I care about, and now he's being set free?"

"He's not free, Vidcund, he's just being spared," Crystal concludes, unable to look him in the eyes.

"Uh-huh, right," Vidcund states disbelievingly, folding his arms over his chest as he continues to stare down at Crystal, "You do know you're going to be stuck with him, right?" he speaks into the silence, "Cause Erin doesn't live in Strangetown anymore, and there's no way in hell he would ever live with me," Vidcund says firmly, the former piece of information causing Crystal to freeze in her seat.

She hears Vidcund depart, leaving her speechless and alone in the conference room. Crystal swallows slowly, the taste of copper spreading throughout her mouth as she ponders over what she has just done. "Shit," she curses.

…

"You didn't tell me you were moving!" Crystal shouts into her cell phone a few minutes later as she paces down the main hallway of Strangetown City Council. "I thought you were back for good!" she yells at her friend.

" _I never said I was,"_ Erin's voice rings out from the other end of the line, _"Why would I want to come back anyway? I'm having too much fun seeing the world!"_

"Because you practically begged me to spare your brother at my birthday party and now it's time for you to return the favor?!" Crystal barks, unable to believe what she is hearing as she struggles to keep her composure.

" _Sorry, Crystal, but I don't have citizenship in Strangetown anymore,"_ Erin confesses, _"I officially moved last year. But don't worry, I'll come visit you and Loki."_

"No, no, no! Don't say that!" Crystal cries, her face turning red with fiery, "Don't you dare start pairing the two of us together! I am _not_ getting stuck with him!"

" _Yeah…"_ Erin replies, even Crystal is able to hear the dubiousness in her voice, _"Good luck with that."_

"Erin!" Crystal screams. Her friend hangs up the phone, causing the dial tone to blare in Crystal's hear, "Damn it, Erin!" she curses, hanging her cell phone up and throwing her arm to the side. Crystal groans and holds her hand up to her aching forehead, finding herself with the second biggest headache she'll ever have in her life…

…in less than an hour, she has a feeling she will be stuck with the first.

Crystal sighs as she trails into the conference room and takes her seat down next to Charlie, the last fifteen minutes seeming like a blur. Pascal smiles as he sits up in his seat slightly, holding up the newest sheet of official paperwork.

"Since Erin is no longer a resident of Strangetown," Pascal begins, time moving slowly as Crystal's narrows in on his words, "Loki has decided that he wants to live with…"

Crystal holds her breath, praying to every executive at Maxis that Loki hasn't picked her.

"…Crystal," Pascal completes as all the other council members simultaneously look at the young townie.

Crystal groans and hides her face in her hands. "Of course he does," she replies, "Cause that decision would make everyone happy!" she beams sarcastically.

"So, as a direct result of Loki's decision, you will go over to The Strangetown Correctional Facility and pick him up this afternoon. Nervous will tell you all the details of Loki's parole once you arrive there," Pascal explains, "then Loki will move in with you, assuming that your living quarters pass inspection by the council beforehand."

Crystal moves her hands down her face slightly, perking up at this news. "Oh no!" Crystal cries, snapping her fingers, "This is terrible! My place is an absolute pigsty. There's no way Loki will ever be able to live with me!" she exclaims.

Two hours later, Pascal, Crystal, and the city inspectors are standing in the center of Crystal's one-bedroom home at 91 Road to Nowhere. The city inspectors stare at the residence in awe, her house sparkling and spotless from corner to corner. "Wow. An A+," the head city inspector states, staring down at the sheet of paper that he has just completed on his clipboard, before tearing it off the pad of paper and handing it to Pascal, "I've never seen anyone get this score."

Pascal raises an eyebrow at Crystal, who facepalms and groans exasperatedly into her palm.

…

Three hours later, Crystal is walking through the main hallway of The Strangetown Correctional Facility, the chief of police, Nervous Subject, leading her through an archway and into a corridor. He stops in front of the secluded room at the end of the eerily-lit hallway and turns to Crystal, taking out a gigantic ring of keys from his pocket. "Are you nervous?" Nervous wonders, his calm demeanor only making her feel more uneasy about the situation.

"Is that a serious question, or are you just making a pun?" Crystal answers lightheartedly, trying to keep her lunch from coming back up.

"Crystal, relax. He's not dangerous," Nervous attempts to calm her, placing a hand on her shoulder, "If he was still dangerous, we'd never let him go, and this is coming from the guy who was his personal test subject," he adds, finally coming across the correct key.

Crystal sighs as she watches Nervous grip the brass key and unlock the door. She steps back defensively, cowing behind the chief of police when she realizes Loki isn't handcuffed.

"Hello Crystal," Loki awkwardly greets, "I haven't seen you in a week."

"Wow," Crystal replies, stepping out from her hiding place behind Nervous, already starting to feel a little better, "It's been that long?"

"Alright," Nervous begins, clasping his hands together as he turns his attention back to the young woman, "Here's how this is going to work. Loki is going to live with you at your house on the Road to Nowhere. He's not allowed to possess any restricted substances of any kind or talk to anyone on the phone or computer unless you're there to supervise it," Nervous continues, citing these rules by memory, "He can't leave the house without authorized supervision, which means you or any of these people can go with him," Nervous states, reaching into his pocket and handing Crystal a list of authorized Strangetown residents. "However, he is allowed to text or call you when you're out of the house, and of course, he can dial 911. Loki's allowed to take online classes or have a job as long as it's approved by the police department and he doesn't have to leave the house," Nervous explains, "If you plan on leaving the city for any reason, let us know beforehand and we'll put him with another authorized resident until you get back. Oh! And we'll routinely come over to check up on you guys," he adds, "Do you have any questions? If so, I'd be happy to answer them."

Crystal nods, "Yes. How long am I going to have him for?" she wonders.

"A while," Nervous shrugs, before leaning towards Crystal and lowering his voice a tad, "I was going to say for the rest of his life," he states, gesturing over his shoulder at Loki, "but I didn't want to scare you both," he claims, Crystal's eyes widening like saucers at this news as Nervous leads them out of the corridor.

The trio reaches the front lobby of the police station. Nervous says farewell to the pair and heads back to his office. He stops in the doorway and stares back at Crystal. "Oh!" Nervous speaks up, a thought just occurring to him, "And keep him away from Circe!"

Loki turns to Crystal, "I see you're just as excited about this as I am," he states as he watches Crystal sigh and scroll through her phone. The young townie slips the cell phone back into her pocket and turns to him.

"Let's just get this over with," Crystal states as she approaches the front door. Crystal stops in her tracks when she peers outside, noticing a crowd of angry protesters lining the path to her car. "Oh my gosh, what the hell?" Crystal cries, the townies' chants growing louder by the second. Crystal gives a hefty sigh and grabs Loki by the hand, leading him towards the door, the scientist startled by her touch. "Okay," she states definitively, trying her best to build up all her determination and courage, "Here we go."

Crystal and Loki step out the door, the pair keeping their heads down as a bunch of the residents start screaming and throwing garbage as they shout obscenities at them. A few of the townies even spit at Loki and Crystal.

Crystal unlocks her car doors, gesturing Loki in the passenger seat as the townies continue to rage on, their tactics getting more aggressive as Crystal rounds her vehicle. She quickly steps into the driver's seat, puts on her seat belt, and starts the car. Crystal pushes on the gas pedal, just wanting to get out of the hazardous situation as quickly as possible.

She sighs as she watches the townies appear smaller and smaller in her side mirrors. Just a week ago, she would've been leading them. " _Oh, how the times have changed_ ," she mutters, relieved that the protesters aren't following the car. "Man, I don't think I've ever heard the words 'bitch' and 'traitor' so many times in my life," Crystal remarks.

"Yeah," Loki nods from the right seat as he stares through the windshield, "Sorry about that."

Crystal tilts her forehead, "You're sorry?" she squeaks, surprised to hear these words coming from the man who once ruled Strangetown with an iron fist.

Loki shrugs. "I can be from time to time," he admits before giving her a small smirk, "Don't act so surprised," he states, "But to tell you the truth, I thought there'd be more."

…

"Okay, so this is my house," Crystal says, stepping into her residence twenty minutes later and lazily throwing her hands out to present the living space as Loki still lingers in the doorway.

He uneasily steps forward, the unfamiliarity of this new location making him a bit nervous. "Nice," he replies with a steady nod, "but I'm not going to pretend this isn't a downgrade," Loki says, crossing his arms and flashing his signature smirk.

"Wow, thanks for the compliment," Crystal retorts, her voice laced with sarcasm. Crystal steps back slightly when she feels Loki grab her by the arm.

"Thank you," he states sincerely, barely able to look up at her.

"Oh, uh…you're welcome?" Crystal replies, a part of her wondering why she was so adamant about getting rid of this man in the first place as Loki lets go of her and retreats to the couch. Crystal gazes down at her arm, eyeing the bruise that was left over from the raid of the Curious residence. "Ah, that's why," she mutters, knowing that if she ever wanted to survive this supposed nightmare, she would have to keep her walls up and stand her ground. Crystal walks into her bedroom, stops by her freshly-made double bed and sighs, her hands perched gently on her hips as she laments.

 _"God, how do I get myself into these messes?"_


	5. Train Wreck

**Still in Love With You**

 _Chapter Five – Train Wreck_

Crystal slowly creaks open her bedroom door early the next week and peers around the door frame, dressed from head to toe in her full work attire. She reaches over to the wooden end table and grabs her purse before tiptoeing into the hallway, trying her best to slip out the door undetected.

"Hey," Loki greets behind her, causing the young woman to shriek and drop her purse on the carpet. Crystal brings her hand up to her chest, still startled by the sudden encounter as Loki continues to stare blankly at her. "Hey, I'm glad you're up. I made you breakfast," he continues, gesturing towards the kitchen table.

Crystal slowly walks over to the classic table setup and suspiciously stares down at the bowl of cereal that is positioned in front of her seat. "What? Did you poison the food?"

"Please, like I know how to make food," Loki remarks, waving his hand down. "So, do you want to eat with me or what?"

"Uh…yeah, I can't," Crystal lies, pretending to check the time on her watch, "I gotta get to work. I promised I'd be there early today. I'll see you later, though."

"Wait, don't go!" Loki cries, stopping Crystal before she can exit through the door, "I want to talk to you."

Crystal scrunches her forehead, swinging her purse strap over her shoulder, "You do?" she squeaks.

"Yeah," Loki nods, "I don't get a lot of human interaction these days. And to tell you the truth, I kind of miss it."

Crystal stares up at Loki and sighs, the genuineness of his statement causing her to feel guilty about her plans to ditch him. "Okay, fine. I'll tell you what: If you let me leave now, I'll come home for lunch today, and we can talk then, alright?"

Loki nods, quite pleased by this agreement. "Alright."

Crystal waves and slams the door shut, leaving Loki in the center of the living room. Loki sighs and begins playing with his hands as he awkwardly gazes around the room. He cringes slightly when he eyes a blob-shaped stain near the base of the refrigerator. "Eww," he states.

An hour later, after successfully cleaning the kitchen tile, Loki is kneeling in front of the closet attempting to organize what he now refers to as "Crystal's piles of crap." Loki reaches into the back of the closet and pulls out a dusty, old picture frame. He coughs a few times before turning the rusted frame over, a photo of Crystal and Lazlo staring back at him. Loki dusts it off and gives a small nose laugh before setting it on the end table in the hallway.

Two hours later, after successfully cleaning the kitchen, bathroom, and front closet, Loki flops down on the couch and turns on the TV set. _"Are you tired of having to pick out each individual kernel of sand from between your toes every night? Do you curse every time you walk through your front lawn?"_ a shrilled voiceover narrates as horror shots of sand piles are shown onscreen. Loki quickly changes the channel.

" _I swear, Brett! I didn't know he was an alien! I thought he was your cousin!"_ a female Servo wearing a fancy pink dress proclaims before sobbing into her werewolf boyfriend's shoulder. Loki continues to stare deadpan at the screen. He holds up the remote and changes the channel.

 _"Deep in the deserts of Strangetown, live thirteen sims who were stupid enough to put up with me again and one newcomer who has no idea what she has gotten herself into…"_ the man states from the screen, stepping forward with his tall, black top hat and black-tailed tuxedo. Loki groans and flips the channel once more.

"Ugh. Daytime television," he says, rolling his eyes at the ceiling as Crystal steps through the door.

She walks into the room, clenching onto the lunch that she bought them as she eyes the spotless kitchen from the doorway. "What did you do?" she wonders, a hint of astonishment in her tone.

Loki shrugs, not bothering to look up from the television, "I cleaned this place up a little. For someone who's supposedly neat, you sure are a pig."

"Why did you do that?" Crystal asks, stepping into the space for a closer look. She stops in front of the refrigerator and stares back at him.

"There's nothing to do here, I was bored!" Loki chimes, "I went from running an empire for two years straight to living unemployed in your home, it's a weird adjustment," he explains, "Plus, I'm a bit of a neat freak, so I thought I could lend you a hand."

"Oh," Crystal squeaks, standing awkwardly in the kitchen, unsure of how to react, "Um…thanks, I guess," she mutters. Crystal paces over to the living room and cautiously sits down on the opposite end of the couch, careful to keep her distance. "So, what are you watching?"

"Nothing," Loki replies, barely moving his shoulders, "Just channel surfing. The overall quality of TV has gone down significantly since they took me off the air," he notes.

"That's debatable," Crystal mumbles, turning her head to the side, "Anyway, I got you lunch," she says, handing him the bag of sandwiches. Loki slowly takes them from her, slightly taken aback by Crystal's selfless gesture. "So, are we gonna talk or what?"

…

"So, what's it like living with Loki?" Chloe wonders as she, Crystal, Kristen, and Lola stand behind a velvet rope aligning the front entrance of Strangetown's hottest nightclub, The Hub. Crystal groans, the light from the nearby street lamps giving her a headache.

"Overall, it's a real pain," Crystal admits, "I barely spend time at home anymore. Ever since he moved in, I've kinda let the place go. And since he can't really talk to anyone else, he always wants to hang out with me, which is incredibly awkward considering the fact he tried to kill me twice while he was in charge."

Kristen nods, crossing her arms as she joins the circle of friends, "Why'd you take him in if you're basically his babysitter?"

"Because Erin guilted me into it," Crystal states, rolling her eyes, "but coincidentally left out the part where she was leaving the city for a year!" she exclaims, "I just wish she'd come back soon so she can take Loki off my hands. He's such a smartass and it doesn't really help that he knows it," she mutters, impatiently glancing at her watch which reads 10:59 p.m. "God, when are they finally going to let us in? We've been standing here for an hour!"

"Geez, Crystal. You've been out every night this week," Lola says as Crystal pulls out her buzzing phone. The young townie groans, glancing down at Lazlo's picture, and hangs up the call. "You really don't want to see him, huh?"

"Not particularly," Crystal mutters. She is about to slip her phone back into her pocket when it buzzes once more. Intrigued, she gazes down at the screen. "Oh God, Vidcund's trending on the internet again," she says as she scrolls through her Twitter feed, the same photo of Vidcund and Isabella making out at her birthday party flooding her screen. "I told him not to do PDA at my party. This is really going to tarnish his image-"

"Hey, look! You're trending too!" Chloe chimes next to her, scrolling through her phone as well.

"What?! Let me see that!"

Chloe nods and shows Crystal the tweet on her phone, which has a photo of her and Loki on it with the headline, 'Crystal Saves Loki – Is she secretly in love?' Crystal facepalms and groans. "I hate the press," she mutters.

"But on the plus side, that's a pretty nice photo of you," Chloe adds.

"God, that's really going to hurt things with Lazlo," Crystal grumbles, rubbing her aching head.

"I'm surprised you care," Kristen says, "Didn't you just hang up on him?" Crystal nods and turns slightly towards the road, "Come on Crystal, he's never going to commit. You told us he has a hard time picking out laundry detergent."

Crystal blushes slightly, suddenly finding the urge to defend her boyfriend. "Well, you know, there's a lot of different options…"

"There's two and he doesn't do laundry," Lola quips, folding her arms in annoyance.

Crystal turns and glares at her, "Thanks Lola."

"I don't get it," Chloe speaks up, "why won't you just go out with Charlie? He's smart, successful, and incredibly rich. Sounds like a Fortune sims' dream!" she beams, nudging Crystal playfully in the side.

Crystal rolls her eyes, "Not to mention incredibly full of himself," she states.

"Come on Crystal, if you eliminate every guy who's full of himself in this town, you're going to have very slim pickings," Lola comments, "That's why I'm ecstatic that I don't date men."

Crystal smiles, "You're living the dream, Lola."

"Hey, what about Ajay?" Kristen wonders, the match fresh in her mind, "He's nice and you guys have the same aspiration."

"Eh," Crystal shrugs.

Kristen cocks her forehead. "What do you mean 'eh'?" she wonders.

"He's too boring," Crystal comments, "It would be like dating a sim-shaped cardboard box," she sighs, crossing her arms and swaying in line a bit, "Why do you guys care so much about my love life anyway?"

"Because, ever since I met Amar, I've been so happy, and I want all my friends to experience the same kind of happiness I have," Kristen answers sincerely.

"Yeah...no thanks, I'm much happier sleeping around," Chloe replies, tugging at the sleeves of her bright red sweater. "But enough about me, who's left for Crystal?" Chloe asks flashing a taunting smirk.

"General Buzz, Loki, Pascal…" Lola starts listing off.

Crystal groans, "Yeah, cause I'm sure a lot of people are jumping on the opportunity to date the guy who wrecked the city ten years ago, the guy who wrecked the city two years ago, and the guy who will wreck the city in the future."

"Or you can go for Vidcund," Kristen suggests, "There are a ton of people waiting for the demise of that relationship."

"That's gross, Kristen," Crystal answers, "I'm not jumping on the Vid train. There's so many reasons why that would never work."

"-Or you can always go younger," Chloe beams, leaning towards Crystal and placing her hand on the townie's shoulder, "There's a lot of hot college grads this year!"

"-Or you could always build a robot," Lola adds with a shrug.

Crystal turns to the twin sisters and glares. "I am _not_ building a robot boyfriend," she states definitively.

"Why not?" Lola wonders, "It would have the same personality and aspiration as you. It's a match made in heaven!"

"Maybe…" Crystal trails off, "But I want to be with someone different than me. You know, someone who challenges me intellectually. Someone who really gets me going and makes me a better person," she reveals, "See, that's the thing about Lazlo, he doesn't really care about anything, and I'm starting to see that that's not what I want in a partner," she confesses, "I want to be with someone who's smart, caring, attractive, and good at managing his money."

"Yeah, well good luck finding that in this town," Lola mutters as the group approaches the front of the line. The women stop beside the bouncer, who stares out at Chloe and smiles.

"Why, Chloe Singles, I haven't seen you since yesterday," the dapperly-dressed gentleman remarks, hanging onto his clipboard.

Chloe nods, "Yeah, we've been here a lot lately," she replies, "I know Thursday's your busy night, but do you think you can get me and my friends in? Crystal's had a rough week."

The bouncer smiles and gives the red-haired woman a wink. "I'll see what I can do," he promises, before stepping off his seat for a moment and moseying into the club. A few moments later, the bouncer returns carrying a tray of cranberry cocktails. "Step on in, Chloe, the DJ already bought you and your friends a round of drinks," he beams, holding the tray out to them.

"Awesome! Thanks Kyle," Chloe smirks, each of the women taking a cocktail before stepping into the club. They stand off to the side of the room near the photo booth and sip their drinks.

Lola looks to her sister as Kristen and Crystal make their way to the dance floor, "It must be fun being you."

"Oh, it's a blast," Chloe concludes between sips. "Now come on, let's show Crystal the time of her life!"

"Looks like Charlie's trying to beat us to it," Lola mutters, pointing across the room at Strangetown's Mr. Big, who is already awkwardly hitting on their friend. "Let's break it up, Crystal's flashing 'help me' eyes."

Five hours later, after a night of successfully downing drinks and turning down various creepy one-liners, Kristen and Lola are helping a very wasted Crystal walk back to her house. "God Crystal, why did you down so many drinks?" Kristen wonders, her friend's breath wreaking of alcohol.

"Cause I don't give a shit anymore!" Crystal bluntly reveals, leaning on her friend's shoulder, "My boyfriend doesn't want me and my career is going nowhere. Whoo! Twenties suck!" she screams as Kristen and Lola help her up the front porch. Lola peers into the front window and sighs, the house pitch black on the inside. She reaches forward and frantically rings the doorbell, holding the button down so the tune loops.

One minute later, Loki answers the door, his disheveled, matted hair matching perfectly with the heavy bags under his eyes. He yawns and locks eyes with the women. "What?" he mutters.

"Hey, Crystal got really drunk at the club tonight, so we decided to walk her home," Lola explains. Loki steps back a bit, allowing Lola, Kristen, and a very drunk Crystal to enter the residence. Lola turns to Loki, "Can you take her for a moment? I have to use the bathroom."

Loki nods, "Alright." Lola lets go of Crystal, causing the young townie to lose her balance. She giggles and falls forward into Loki, who catches her in his arms. "Whoa. Easy there, drunkie."

Crystal laughs and moves forward, caressing the sides of Loki's face. "Crystal, stop. You're embarrassing yourself," Loki states as Kristen watches in horror next to him.

"You got such a nice ass!" Crystal calls out, staring into his eyes, "The ass has a nice ass!" she blares before breaking into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

Loki nods, composed as a statue, "Okay," he says. Loki turns to Kristen, "Let's get her into bed."

"Alright," Kristen agrees. Loki lifts Crystal up by the waist; she giggles over his shoulder.

"Hey!" Crystal chimes, "At least buy me dinner first!"

…

Loki groans as he opens his eyes the next morning, a shrilling ring blaring from across the residence. Loki slowly sits up, surprised that after almost two weeks of living with his former colleague, he has never heard Crystal's alarm before this moment. He slowly makes his way across the living room and peers into the bedroom only to find Crystal still sprawled out on her bed exactly where he and Kristen left her. "Crystal?" Loki speaks up, quickly silencing the alarm with his other hand as he hovers over the bed. He stares down at the young townie, who hasn't moved a muscle. "Shit. She's out," he comments as he nervously eyes the time on her alarm clock, "and work starts in five minutes," Loki notes to himself, "I guess I better call in and tell them she's not coming."

Loki sighs as he picks up Crystal's cell phone on the dresser and begins scrolling through her contacts for numbers. His thumb stops on the number for the Curious residence as nerves start to form in the pit of his stomach. "Damn," he curses under his breath, "They are not going to want to hear from me, but I guess I really have no choice." Loki swallows as he quickly presses the dial button.

Across town, the phone is ringing off the hook as total pandemonium lets loose at the Curious residence as eight sims attempt to complete their morning routines. Tank and Ripp are in line for the bathroom, which is currently occupied by Kea, who has a terrible case of morning sickness. A few feet away, Pascal is trying to calm down his daughter, Amelia, who is screaming her hand off after getting awoken by Lazlo. Vidcund passes by the pair on the way to the kitchen, his mind going a mile a minute regarding work as the phone is left unnoticed.

Back at Crystal's house, Loki sighs as he hangs up her cell phone, bummed that he must make yet another call to someone who hates him. Loki sighs as he spends a few minutes scrolling through his options, finally landing on the least hostile of the three choices. "God, please pick up," Loki mutters as he presses the call button and holds the cell phone up to his ear.

At the Curious residence, Pascal is in the shower singing into his shampoo bottle as his cell phone rings on top of the toilet. " _Oh, if you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends!_ " he choruses as his phone continues to buzz nearby. His cell phone buzzes for so long that it slips off the surface and falls into the toilet.

Loki pulls his head back as the call unexpectedly drops. "Shoot," he states as he is forced to go to his second option. He dials the next number.

Back at the Curious residence, Lazlo is sitting on his panda chair when his phone starts vibrating in his pocket. Lazlo slowly takes it out and stares down at the screen. He shakes his head, still sore from Crystal's rejection the previous night. He rejects the call.

Across town, Loki shifts back a bit, shocked that he is hearing the dial tone. "Whoa. He hung up on me," he states before hovering his finger over his final option. Loki sighs, wanting to quit now, but realizing he really has no choice. He dials the number.

Vidcund is sitting at the kitchen counter with Isabella, attempting to snarf down a bowl of cereal before his big meeting at city council. Vidcund pulls his ringing phone out of his pocket, sees Crystal's name on the screen, and immediately answers the call. "Hey, I'll be there in fifteen. I'm running a few minutes behind-"

" _Vidcund, it's Loki,"_ Loki instantly states from the opposite line, _"Crystal's not going to be in today."_

" _What?_ Why?" Vidcund responds, unable to believe who he is talking to, "What did you do to her?"

" _I'm too exhausted to be offended by that comment, so I'll just tell you,"_ Loki replies, _"She went out drinking last night, and she's still passed out on her bed. So…you're going to have to carry on without her."_

"Loki, I swear if you're making this up-" Vidcund begins, clenching onto his phone as Isabella intently listens in on the conversation next to him.

 _"Yeah, yeah, I know. Empty threat, I hate you too. Bye!"_ Loki spews, swiftly hanging up.

Vidcund pulls his head back, slightly taken off-guard by the hasty ending to their discussion, "Uh…bye," he says into the dial tone. He hangs up his cell phone and places it back into his pocket.

"Who was that?" Isabella wonders, holding down her cereal spoon slightly.

"Loki," Vidcund replies, rather astonished, "I guess Crystal's hungover."

…

A few hours later, the young woman wakes up on her bed, Crystal's head still pounding from the night before. She eyes the time on her alarm clock and instantly jolts awake, panic filling her entire body. "Twelve o'clock?! Oh my gosh, I'm late for work!" she cries. Crystal runs over to the closet and grabs her coat, but Loki stops her in the doorway.

"No, you're not," he says, taking a sip of his tea, "I called Vidcund and told him you were sick. He was not happy to hear from me," Loki notes as Crystal slowly sets down her coat, "For the record, maybe going out clubbing on a Thursday night when you have a very important meeting the next day isn't a good idea."

"Noted," Crystal nods as the pair sit down at the kitchen table. Crystal stares up at Loki, eyeing the former ruler as he finishes his tea. "Look at you, taking care of yourself," she states sassy, "I'm proud of you."

"I'm thirty, not three. I don't act like a child, unlike some people in this house," Loki retorts, giving her a glare over his mug.

"Watch it, buddy," Crystal smirks, "I can kick you out of here any second."

Loki nods, pretending to contemplate this threat, "Yeah, but you won't. You're such a softy, but then again, so am I."

Crystal tilts her forehead, clearly puzzled by this observation. "You're not a softy."

"Of course I am. Why else do you think you lived all those times?" Loki reveals, "If I really wanted you dead, I would've taken you out before you even formed the Resistance."

Crystal nods, unsure how to process this piece of information. "Good to know."

Crystal watches as Loki sits up from his seat and takes his plate and mug to the kitchen sink. She stands up suddenly and slowly walks towards him, Loki instantly turning in a frenzy when he sees her arms out. "What are you doing?" he cries as Crystal moves forward and wraps her arms around him, his body freezing up in shock.

"I'm giving you a hug in gratitude for helping me out today," Crystal explains, still holding onto him, "Haven't you ever been hugged before?"

"Yeah, but it's been awhile," Loki says, awkwardly placing his right hand on her shoulder.

The doorbell rings, detouring the uncomfortableness of the situation as Crystal quickly lets go of Loki to answer the door. Crystal steps back, surprised to find Lazlo standing on her porch.

"Hey Crystal," Lazlo squeaks, barely able to look his girlfriend in the eyes, "I'm really sorry about your party. I feel really awful about what happened between us," he mutters, "I uh…got you these flowers," Lazlo reveals, reaching behind his back and holding up a bouquet of lilies out to her, "Lilies are your favorite, right?"

"-Roses," Crystal corrects him, "but you were close," she adds, touched by the sweetness of his gesture as Loki watches them from the kitchen, feeling surprisingly chilly since Crystal departed.

"Oh, sorry," Lazlo apologizes, giving a slight blush, "So, can I take you out again tonight?"

"Of course," Crystal replies, Loki shocked by the mere second it took her to make this decision, "I'll see you at eight," she says, pulling Lazlo into a hug as Loki shakes his head at them behind her.

" _Yeesh. What a train wreck_ ," he mutters.


	6. Dinner at the eXtremes (Redux)

**Still in Love With You**

 _Chapter Six – Dinner at the eXtremes (Redux)_

The desert sun shines brightly through the large back window of the Curious residence, lighting up the kitchen with a gentle orange glow. Isabella sighs as she paces in the sitting room, glancing down at her phone every few seconds with one hand as she nervously fiddles with her red hair with the other. Behind the frazzled young adult, Pascal is tinkering with the toaster.

Isabella pockets her phone into her classic argyle skirt and walks into the hallway. She knocks on the bathroom door. "Vidcund, come on. We gotta get ready to go soon. There's no way we can be late for this-" Isabella turns to the side, nearly running into Vidcund in the process, who is already dressed in his best formal wear. "Whoa. You're already ready?"

Vidcund nods and cocks his forehead slightly, "Didn't you say the dinner was at six?"

"Yeah, but it's five o'clock," Isabella notes, "It shouldn't take us that long to walk there," she states, feeling her stomach start to twist, "Oh man, I really don't want to go to this. There's a reason why I've been screening my parents' calls for a week."

"Izzy, relax. It's not going to be that bad," Vidcund says, staring down at his girlfriend.

"Yes, it will. Trust me, you don't know my dad," Isabella replies, coming apart at the whole situation, "He finds something wrong with every guy I date, and he definitely isn't nice about it."

"Hey, I dated Circe for seven years, _and_ I'm a public servant. I know how to handle criticism," Vidcund smiles, "It's going to be fine."

Isabella slowly nods, doing her best to believe these words. "Right," she sighs, "It's going to be fine."

Twenty minutes later, Isabella steps into the hallway dressed in her knee-length, solid pink dress. Isabella sighs as heads toward the sitting area, holding a hand against her tense stomach. She steps into the kitchen only to be immediately pulled back by Pascal. "What the-?"

"Look out! It's gonna blow!" he cries, pointing to the toaster, which is now shaking uncontrollably on the kitchen counter. Pascal picks up a silver dessert platter plate and holds it up in front of them. He steps back, bracing for impact. Isabella shrieks as a thick, black substance starts spewing from the sides of the appliance.

All of a sudden, Vidcund walks over to the counter, whistling a happy tune. "No, Vid! Don't go in the kitchen!" Pascal screams. The toaster explodes into a million pieces.

Vidcund walks over to his Pascal, covered head to toe with black sludge. He crosses his arms and glares at his older brother. Pascal gives a nervous laugh and slowly lowers the plate. "Well, look at the bright side. Now we know not to give the toaster feelings."

"And _this_ is exactly why I got ready an hour early," Vidcund mutters before heading straight to the bathroom. He passes by Kea, who is on her way to the kitchen.

Upon seeing his condition, Kea turns slightly, a troubled expression spread across her face. "What happened to him?"

"Toaster explosion," Isabella reveals as Pascal goes over to clean up the mess.

"Ah. That explains it," Kea responds, watching Isabella clutch her stomach. "Are you okay?" she wonders. Isabella shakes her head and plops down on a seat in the sitting room, "You're nervous about the dinner, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Isabella answers honestly, "I don't know, Kea. I mean, I really like Vidcund and of course I love my family, but it's so hard for me to stand up to my father," she says, playing with her hands, "And if he doesn't like Vidcund, then that might be it for us."

"Izzy," Kea sighs, taking the seat down next to her friend, "You guys can still have a successful relationship even if your dad doesn't like him. You just have to make sure that you have Vidcund's back. Because if you don't have his back, you two aren't going to last long," she states, staring up at the television wall, "I'm serious, Izzy, Andrew never stood up for me when it came to his parents, and I'm still sore about it five years after we broke up."

"I just don't want to cause any problems," Isabella says, her stomach churning at the thought.

Kea nods, "I know," she states, "But if you really want to be with Vidcund in the long run, you may have to make a choice." Kea sighs as she stands up from her chair, propping her hands against her aching back while she eyes the newspaper on Pascal's desk. A list of available lots in Strangetown is peeking out of the folded corner. "You still haven't told your parents that you're living here, have you?"

Isabella shakes her head, "No."

"And that you have no interest in looking for another place to live?" she drills.

Isabella quickly stands up and snatches the newspaper from the desk. She blindly points her finger at one of the houses on the front page as Vidcund steps into the room, fully dressed. "There, I looked!" she announces, "Now let's go," she states, grabbing Vidcund by the hand and leading him toward the door.

"Good luck, guys!" Lazlo shouts from his bedroom.

"Thanks," Isabella replies, before lowering her voice to a hushed whisper, "We'll need it," she mutters.

…

A few minutes later, Vidcund and Isabella are walking down the Road to Nowhere, two houses away from the iconic, x-shaped building. They pass by Crystal's house, which has a bunch of angry townies protesting on her front lawn. "I'm worried about Crystal," Vidcund states suddenly as they walk past his adviser's residence, "She's not used to all this negative attention. I hope she's alright," he says, "The first few months are usually the worst."

Isabella sighs when they arrive at 188 Road to Nowhere, the wind around them as dry as her father's personality. She takes a deep breath and pounds on the door. "Well, here goes nothing," Isabella states, shivering in place.

Her mother, Lenda, swings open the door. "Isabella, sweetie!" she squeals, pulling her only daughter into a tight embrace, "It's so great to see you!" Lenda beams, an enthusiastic expression on her face. She pulls away from the hug and looks to the nicely-dressed gentleman next to her daughter, "And you're obviously Vidcund," she adds, pulling him into a hug as well, "I remember you from the debate. It's very nice to meet you."

"Thank you, Mrs. eXtreme. It's nice to meet you too," Vidcund replies with a nod.

"Alban!" Lenda calls into the house, the sound of her father's name causing Isabella to cower her shoulders a tad, "Izzy and her friend are here!"

Mere seconds later, Isabella's father, Alban, arrives at the door dressed in his usual business attire. "Isabella," he nods in acknowledgement before immediately shifting his attention to the man standing next to her, "Who's this?" he says coldly, narrowing his eyes at Vidcund.

"Um, Dad," Isabella begins, gesturing towards her boyfriend, "This is Vidcund. He's my…my…" Isabella stutters, her confidence draining rapidly under her father's piercing glare. Vidcund raises his eyebrow at her questioningly. She sighs, "He's the mayor," Isabella states, feeling defeated.

"Oh, yes," Alban speaks up, "I remember you…"

 _Eight years ago, the eXtremes are busy setting up their new house. Alban sighs as he unpacks the last of his work clothes, which are sprawled out all over the living room couch, and steps back to view his work. "Well, there's a unpacking record if I've ever seen one," he states as his wife continues setting up the kitchen behind him. The doorbell rings, immediately knocking Mr. eXtreme back to reality. "Huh. I wonder who that could be?" he says to himself, before swinging open the door._

 _He steps back only to find the three Curious brothers standing on the over side of it. "Welcome to Strangetown!" Vidcund greets while Pascal blows a horn in Alban's face and Lazlo throws confetti in his hair._

 _Alban coughs and quickly backs away from the doorway. Vidcund nudges Pascal in the side, urging him to stop. Upon regaining his composure, Alban turns to the brother that is standing on the center of his porch and crosses his arms. "Well, if it isn't the 90s brigade," he states, glaring at Vidcund._

 _Pascal bursts into a fit of laughter. "Wait, let me write that one down!" he chimes, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a pad of paper and a pencil with a smiley face topper. Vidcund swiftly snatches the items from his brother._

" _Sorry we startled you," Vidcund apologizes, "but we just wanted to welcome you and your family to the great city of Strangetown!" he beams, "I'm Mayor Vidcund, and these are my brothers, Pascal and Lazlo," he says, holding out his hand to shake._

 _Alban stares down at Vidcund's hand in disgust. "Uh-huh," he mutters, clearly unimpressed, "And what kind of town has a twenty-one-year old mayor?"_

" _Uh…" Lazlo begins, bringing his hand up to his chin in a ponder, "the best town in the Simverse!" he smiles as Alban continues to shoot the three brothers a massive death glare._

 _Pascal shivers. "Geez, this guy is a real stick in the mud. Am I right?" he asks his brothers, lowering his voice a tad. Alban narrows his eyes at him._

" _Get off my lawn before I turn on the sprinklers!"_

Back in the present, Alban cocks his forehead as he locks eyes with Vidcund. "You know, I voted for the other guy," he states.

Vidcund nods, suddenly feeling quite awkward. "Uh…that's great," he mumbles, flashing Isabella a concerned look before Lenda leads them into the house.

The group sits down at the dining room table, Alban glaring at Vidcund the entire way. Alban turns to Isabella, who is sitting across the table next to Vidcund. "So," he begins as Lenda grabs food from the kitchen, "this is the guy you gave your life for?"

Isabella nods and grabs Vidcund's hand under the table, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Yes."

"I see," Alban answers, still staring daggers at the mayor, "He's too old for you," he adds.

"What? No, he's not!"

Thirty minutes later, Vidcund and the eXtremes are in the middle of the most awkward dinner to ever grace the dining room table. Lenda is trying her best to lighten the mood with harmless conversation while Alban continues to glare at Vidcund from across the table. Isabella's youngest brother, Louie, is sitting next to the mayor on the other side, asking him loads of questions about his studies while Isabella's grandmother is focusing solely on her food. Isabella herself is staring back and forth between Alban and Vidcund, making sure that her father doesn't say anything harsh to Vidcund while he attempts to answer all the eXtreme's questions between bites of pot roast.

"So Vidcund, how did you two meet?" Lenda wonders, smiling at him from the head of the table.

"Well, Isabella actually rescued me from an abandoned warehouse a few years ago, but I knew of her before then."

"Oh," Alban snarls, setting his fork back down on his plate, "so you were pining after a teenager?"

"What? No," Vidcund replies, a little flustered, "It's my responsibility as mayor to know the names of all the residents," he explains.

"Uh-huh," Alban remarks, folding his arms across his chest, "and I bet you think that's more important than my job."

Vidcund shakes his head. "No, I never said that."

"But you were thinking it, I can tell!" Alban claims, pointing his finger accusingly at Vidcund.

Lenda clears her throat while Isabella's eyes trail to the floor, the young woman feeling more uneasy by the second. "So, Vidcund," Lenda says, trying her best to change the subject before a fight breaks out, "your glasses are quite interesting-"

"Yeah, why do you dress like a freak?" Alban interrupts.

"I don't dress like a freak. I just have a unique sense of style," Vidcund says, setting his fork back down on his napkin, "And you shouldn't call people freaks for liking something different than you. It's rude."

"Excuse me?" Alban replies, unable to believe that someone this new as stood up to him, "What I said wasn't rude, I call it like I see it. And you and your brothers are freaks!"

Isabella immediately sits up in her seat and grits her teeth, " _Dad!_ "

"I mean, do you honestly expect me to believe that a man who gave birth to a child isn't a freak?"

"Yes," Vidcund argues, his face turning red at Alban's comment, "Because he's not!"

"So…um…let's change the topic now, shall we?" Lenda squeaks as Alban and Vidcund glare at each other from across the table, the tension in the room almost too much for rest of the family to bear.

Alban nods, turning to his wife with a sly smirk. "You're right, dear. We should change the subject," Alban claims, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a folded sheet of paper. He unfolds the list and stares back up at his daughter's date, "Now, I'm going to go through a list of facts that I found online, and I want you to tell me if they're about you or not."

"Dad, are you kidding me?!" Isabella cries, covering her face with her napkin, positively horrified.

"Now, let's see here – Ah, here's one," Alban states, narrowing in on one of the bullet points on the list, "Had a kid with a married woman," he smirks.

"Well…uh, I guess that was me," Vidcund says, doing his best to keep his composure.

"Was the subject of a naked photo scandal?" Alban questions, staring down at Vidcund with a snarky glare.

Vidcund sits there speechless for a moment before playing with the edge of his cloth napkin. "Now that one wasn't really my fault-"

"Alban, honey, maybe you should quit interrogating the guest," Lenda suggests, flashing Vidcund a sympathetic gaze.

"Now, now, dear, this next one is quite impressive," he states, turning back to Vidcund, "Won a Nobel Prize?"

Vidcund nods and slouches slightly. "No, that one was my brother."

"Wow," Alban chimes as Lenda eagerly gets up to retrieve the main entrée from the oven, "what a big success for someone who's known as the neighborhood weirdo."

Vidcund leans back in his seat a tad, feeling anger building up inside of him as Lenda sets the piping hot turkey on the center of the table. "Hey!" Vidcund shouts, "You can pick on me all you want, but don't you _dare_ pick on my brother! Pascal has one of the most brilliant minds the world as ever seen, and he's done more than you ever will!" he cries, standing up from his seat and planting his hands firmly on the table. The impact of Vidcund's hands hitting the surface causes the table to shake. The turkey wobbles and drops into Alban's lap, burning his crotch. Alban screams.

"That's it!" he yells, standing up from his seat and throwing his arm out toward the door as Lenda rushes to pick up their dinner from the floor and Vidcund backs away from the dinner table, "Get out of my house this instant and stay the hell away from my family! The last thing I want is for my daughter to associate herself with freaks!"

Vidcund promptly gazes at Isabella, who is sitting at the dinner table, looking as if she is about to burst into tears at any moment. He sighs, guilt filling his stomach, "I'm sorry, Izzy," Vidcund states, his eyes trailing to the floor as he turns toward the door.

Isabella stands up from her chair, her mind going a mile a minute as she locks eyes with her father. "Look Dad, I don't care if you don't like Vidcund, okay?" she says, giving a gulp, "I'm still going to date him, and you're just going to have to accept that. But I'm not going to let you trash him or my friend. They've always treated me like family," Isabella continues, still trying to find her inner strength, "And until you learn to treat people with respect, I'm done with you."

Isabella turns and heads towards the door, unable to believe that she has finally grown a backbone. She passes by Vidcund, who is still standing in the living room in stunned silence. He follows her out the door.

Back in the eXtreme residence, Alban stands motionless in the kitchen, in disbelief that his little girl has stood up to him as Lenda stands at his side. "Wow," Lenda says suddenly, hoping to break the awkward tension, "She must really like him."

"I know," Alban responds with a sigh, "It's worse than I thought."

…

A few minutes later, Vidcund and Isabella are walking down the Road to Nowhere, their sights this time set on Cover Up Road. Vidcund has his hands in his pockets, stopping every so often to smile at his girlfriend, who is busying staring out at the horizon. "Hey, I know that whole dinner was a total disaster, but if it makes you feel any better, it wasn't even in the top five worst dinners I've been to."

At this, Isabella nods slightly, cracking a small smile. "Good to know," she says.

"You do know it was an accident, right?" Vidcund speaks up when they pass by the Smith residence, "I didn't mean to burn off your father's dick."

Isabella's face reddens, unable to contain her laughter. "Yes," she replies through giggles as she wipes a single tear away from her eye, "God, that was a horrible dinner," Isabella states, the pair stopping on the side of the road to gaze at each other.

Vidcund laughs as well, taking a deep breath before turning back to Isabella. "Oh. And please don't say anything about what your father said to Pascal," Vidcund adds, his tone shifting immediately, "I don't want to make him feel bad and hurt his feelings."

Isabella nods, "Alright," she says as the pair begins walking once more. "Are you my boyfriend?" Isabella speaks up suddenly as they approach the Cover Up hill.

Vidcund turns to Isabella and blushes. "I don't know, am I?" he wonders.

"Well, I really want you to be my boyfriend, but after that debacle of an evening, I'm not sure if you still want to be."

"You're kidding, right?" Vidcund states, smiling as he flushes slightly, "After what you said to your father, you couldn't pay me not to be your boyfriend," he jokes, "Look, I'm sorry about your dad," he says sincerely, "Part of me knew that he would never like me, but part of me kinda hoped that he would give me a shot."

"Yeah, I'm sorry I took you there," Isabella says as they arrive at the entrance of their residence, "No one should have to withstand that level of torture. I just hope that you don't think less of me because of it."

"Please!" Vidcund rolls his eyes, "The last time someone stood up for me like that, they almost got killed," he begins, stopping to ponder this over for a moment, "-Oh wait. That was also you," he says, beaming as he turns towards the front door and glances down at his watch, "Hey, it's almost ten and I'm getting really tired. Do you want to sleep with me?" he wonders, stopping abruptly when he realizes how that sounds, "Whoa, okay, that came out wrong," Vidcund sweat drops, trying to backpedal. Isabella smiles and gives a small laugh, "I meant like in the same bed."

"But don't you have a twin?" she asks.

"Yes, but I can fit you no problem," Vidcund beams, "You can squeeze in. I'll even hold you so you won't fall off."

Isabella nods and wraps her arms around his shoulders. She blushes. "Okay," Isabella states as the pair part and head to Vidcund's bedroom. The couple stops in front of the open doorway.

"So, this is my room," Vidcund says, stepping onto the floorboard and spreading his arms out to present it to her. He turns toward the wall, matching gazes with the photo of Circe that is on his dresser. "Oop! Hang on, just let me get rid of all the pictures of the ex here!" he comments, quickly racing through his bedroom and snatching every picture frame that has a photo of Circe in it. Vidcund stuffs them under his bed before swiftly turning back to Isabella. "There," he sighs, "No more ex," Vidcund says. Isabella shyly smiles and joins him near the bed.

"Man, you're about to be in bed with mayor. What a scandal," Vidcund quips, lying down on his mattress and holding his arms out to her. Isabella smiles and joins him on the bed. She turns to the side, allowing Vidcund to spoon her.

Vidcund leans forward slightly, whispering in her ear, "Should I get Lazlo?" he cracks, "He could lie in front of you for old time's sake."

Isabella chuckles, the tense atmosphere instantly changing around them. "No, I'm good," she states as Vidcund kisses her a few times on the cheek.

"Did you mean what you said earlier, you know, about us treating you like family?" Vidcund wonders, his eyes shining at this question.

"Yes," Isabella nods, "But maybe I don't feel that as much from you anymore," she smirks, "You're definitely not like a brother to me."

Vidcund smiles, "Oh thank God!" he squeaks.


	7. Mr Wishy-Washy

**Still in Love With You**

 _Chapter Seven – Mr. Wishy-Washy_

Early the next morning, following the worst dinner in Strangetown history, Vidcund is sitting at the kitchen counter of the Curious estate drinking a cup of coffee. He groans and rubs his forehead, which hasn't stopped aching since he arrived at the eXtreme residence the day before. Vidcund sighs as he flips over the newspaper, he and Isabella gracing the cover of the lifestyle section for the third day straight. _"Damn paparazzi,"_ he mutters, playing with the corner of the page.

"So, how'd it go?" Pascal springs up behind him.

Vidcund shrieks and leans back slightly, his brother catching him off-guard. Vidcund smiles when he locks eyes with Pascal, one of the few sims he knows who actually enjoys waking up at the crack of dawn. "Well," Vidcund sighs, "let's put it this way: after last night, I don't think there's any chance of Alban ever approving of me dating Isabella."

"Why?" Pascal wonders, "What happened?"

"He interrogated me during dinner and while we were leaving, I may or may not have accidentally burned his crotch," Vidcund answers, nonchalantly taking a sip of his coffee.

Pascal scrunches his forehead, having trouble processing this news. "Wait. How do you accidentally burn someone's man bits?"

Vidcund covers his face with his hands and groans, feeling sick just thinking about the catastrophe. "Relax, Vid, it's not a big deal," Pascal assures him, "Just pass a law saying that you can date her."

"See, that's the thing, Pascal. Isabella and I are still together even though her father's mind was already made up about me before I got there," Vidcund says, staring out the back kitchen window as he mulls it over, "God, I never felt so powerless. It seemed like he just wanted to see me crash and burn in front of her."

"Vid, if Isabella didn't leave you when you were a wanted criminal who indirectly caused the destruction of the entire city, I really don't think anything her father said would've done it," Pascal states, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

"Yeah, I guess not," Vidcund replies, staring down at the countertop, "And right before we left, Izzy said she was done with him."

"Whoa," Pascal says, "Since when does Isabella have a backbone?"

"Thanks Pascal," Isabella states as she steps into the living room behind them, Tank and Kea standing only a few feet away from the television.

Pascal smiles, "You're welcome!" he chimes as the doorbell echoes throughout the residence, "Ooh! I'll get it!"

The eldest Curious brother gets up from the kitchen barstool, whistling a happy tune on his way to the front door. Pascal reaches behind the staircase and grabs a baseball bat before arriving at his destination. Pascal holds it up, preparing to strike the supposed perpetrator on the noggin. Vidcund trails into the hallway and walks up behind his brother, staring bizarrely at Pascal.

"Come in!" Pascal shouts encouragingly.

"Yeah…no," Vidcund remarks, quickly snatching the baseball bat from Pascal before he can do any damage. Crystal steps through the door. "Great," he states sarcastically, "You almost knocked out my head adviser," he says, still puzzled by the whole situation, "Who did you think was at the door?"

"Tax collectors?" Pascal guesses, "The Arts? Darren Dreamer? I don't know!"

Vidcund shakes his head as he steps back, allowing Crystal to walk into the house, "How do you sleep at night?"

Pascal smiles and nods, "Surprisingly well," he beams.

Crystal rounds the corner of the hallway and stops in front of Lazlo's bedroom, the young townie dressed in a knee-length, sleeveless magenta dress. Crystal peeks into the open doorway, stopping in her tracks when she finds Lazlo lounging on the floor of his bedroom decked out in his pajamas, his head propped lazily against the bottom of his mattress.

"Lazlo! What are you still doing in your pajamas?" Crystal squeaks, pushing open the door, "We have to leave soon!"

"I know," Lazlo says, briefly glancing at the clock on his nightstand, "I still have two minutes," he notes, reaching into a bag of barbecue chips that are laying on the floor next to him.

Crystal throws her arm to the side, exasperated, "Ugh, you do this every time!" she cries, "I tell you that we have to go somewhere, you promise to dress nicely, and you wait until the last possible second to get ready!"

"I promise to dress nicely?" Lazlo repeats, barely moving his forehead, "That doesn't sound like me."

"Come on, Lazlo! Get dressed!" Crystal commands, leaning forward and grabbing her boyfriend by the hands. She moves backward, attempting to get him up from the floor as a small group on onlookers gather near the doorway, "We have to be there in five minutes, or Kristen is going to kill me!"

Lazlo groans, finally sitting up from the floor. "But I wasn't invited to this thing. Kristen doesn't even like me!"

Crystal sighs and props her hands against her hip bones, "Probably because you're always flaking out on her poker nights."

"Well, I can't help it," Lazlo squeaks, using his best innocent tone, "There's too many stairs."

"Yeesh," Kea states from the hallway, watching this whole spectacle unfold with Isabella, Tank, and the elder two Curious brothers, "Lazlo never seemed that lazy when he was living with you."

"Oh no, he was," Isabella replies.

"Yeah," Vidcund adds, "it took all three of us just to get him out of bed in the morning."

 _One year prior, back at Sim State University, Vidcund, Pascal, and Isabella are in the center of Isabella's dorm room in Cassandra's Dormitory attempting to get Lazlo up for the day. Vidcund groans as he struggles to drag his youngest brother off the mattress by the arms while Pascal and Isabella lift Lazlo up from behind. Vidcund accidentally lets go of Lazlo's arms and falls backwards into the hallway._

"And that explains why you guys always looked so disheveled at eight in the morning," Kea completes, cupping her chin ponderously. Vidcund nods. "Well, Tank and I should probably head out now. We're looking at houses today," she says, turning to Isabella, "I'm pretty excited. Finally, I'm going to have enough space to store all my meat!"

Isabella laughs, "Sounds like a good investment." Kea nods as she and Tank give a group a small wave before exiting the premises.

"Lazlo!" Crystal barks from the other room, "Come on! I am not going to be the only one at Kristen's rehearsal dinner without a date!"

"You won't be," Lazlo chimes, "Chloe's not taking anyone."

Crystal sighs and throws her hands up, clearly having enough of this conversation, "You're unbelievable, you know that?" she cries, the three onlookers quickly inching back towards the living room, "Why is it so hard for you just to be my boyfriend?"

"Look, if you really need someone to go with you, then why don't you just go with Prissy-boy Lawson?"

Crystal crosses her arms over her chest and huffs, "Because he's not my boyfriend."

"Then take Loki," Lazlo suggests.

Crystal glares down at Lazlo, her expression getting angrier by the second, "You're joking, right?"

…

One hour later, after the worst fight of her and Lazlo's relationship, followed by the worst fight of her and Kristen's relationship, Crystal is trekking down the Road to Nowhere as fast as her legs can take her. She wipes the tears away from her eyes, doing her best to keep her head held high as she makes her way back to her residence.

Crystal sighs as she arrives at her front porch. She turns to the door, which now has the word 'traitor' spray painted in pink diagonally across it. "Perfect," she whispers under her breath as she scrounges her purse for her keys, "Just what I needed."

The young townie sighs as she unlocks the door and steps into the living room, her presence causing Loki to sit up on the sofa.

"Hey," he greets, turning away from the television, "Why aren't you at the rehearsal dinner?"

"I, uh, had to cancel," Crystal mutters, turning away from him slightly, hoping to mask the disappointment on her face. "So, what have you been up to?"

"Nothing much, just channel surfing," Loki replies, getting up from the couch and walking over to her, a folded-up piece of paper in his hands, "Hey, do you think you can get these things for me at the store?" he asks, holding the list out to her.

Crystal slowly turns around and stares down at the piece of paper. She cautiously takes it from him and scans the list over. "One proton accelerator, fifty six-by-nine titanium sheets, five liters of liquid nitrogen," she reads. Crystal looks up at Loki and shrugs, "Where am I supposed to find this stuff?"

"I used to take it from the radio tower."

"Yeah…" Crystal speaks, "If I were you, I would stay away from the science stuff for a while. Trust me, you don't want to go _back_ to prison."

"I guess…" Loki shrugs, quickly taking the list from Crystal and slouching back down on the couch in a pout.

Crystal steps forward, eyeing the troubled scientist. "Aren't you hot in that sweater?"

"No," Loki replies, "you have the air conditioning cranked up like a million degrees. It's freezing in here!" he moans, rubbing his chilly arms.

"You know, you could've just turned it down," she replies, gesturing to the thermostat that is a mere two feet from the top of the sofa.

Loki turns to her, "I wasn't sure if I had earned that privilege, or if you were one of those crazy 'don't touch my thermostat' people," he states as the young townie rolls her eyes and turns the air down with the click of a button.

"Look, all I'm saying is the sweater doesn't exactly scream 'evil'," Crystal smirks, a playful glint in her eyes.

"Kea thought so."

Crystal grins, "Kea thought that it would be appropriate to try to get your autograph during the heist!"

Loki shrugs his shoulders, "Hey, I would've given it to her."

Crystal smiles as she watches Loki redirect his focus to the television, her conversation with him surprisingly making her feel better about things. "Is this seriously what you've been doing all day?" she asks. Loki nods, "Then come on, let's go outside or something."

"Outside?" Loki repeats, looking more terrified by the moment as Crystal gestures him towards the door, "But that's where people are!" he moans before reluctantly following her, "Oh God, this day just gets worse and worse."

…

Across town, Tank and Kea are exploring a beautiful four-bedroom estate at 57 Road to Nowhere. Their realtor, Meredith Lillard, is leading the couple through the first-level of the home, stopping every so often to view each area of the living space in depth. "As you can see, this house features a lovely kitchen which opens into a spacious dining room," Meredith presents, gesturing her arms out in front of her.

Tank and Kea wander into the dining room behind her. The room is tan and drab, but it has potential. Tank sighs and brings his hand up to his chin as he stares around the clear space. "So, how much are we talking here?"

"The asking price is 39,848 simoleons," Meredith tells them, "But I can probably get it knocked down to 36,000."

"Alright," Tank nods as Kea sticks her head into the kitchen, "And what's this side of the neighborhood like?"

Meredith hugs her clipboard to her chest as she joins Tanks at the front of the house. The realtor's face scrunches at the question, "Well…"

"Hey son! Over here!" General Buzz shouts from his residence next door as he excitedly waves at Tank through the open window, "Isn't this great? Now we can see each other every waking moment!"

Tank groans and facepalms, running his hand through his short brown hair. He turns to Meredith. "Yeah, we're going to have to get back to you on this."

…

Meanwhile, Crystal and Loki are walking towards the edge of town, the sun quite high for four in the afternoon. "Sorry it took so long to get here, but I figured you probably didn't want to run into anyone you know," Crystal states as they approach the most deserted side of Strangetown: the hill near the Specter estate.

"Well, you would be right about that assumption," Loki replies, his hands in his pockets as they walk near the abandoned residence next door. Loki goes into a rather lengthy speech about the value of scientific principles, causing Crystal's mind to wander to thoughts of Lazlo.

Crystal sighs as she steps backwards onto the Specter lot, Loki eyes instantly widening as she backs towards the garden. Loki quickly lunges forward and tackles Crystal to the ground, the impact of the fall knocking Crystal's purse off her shoulder. The purse frisbees into the garden, immediately setting off a small land mine. Sand shoots up from the ground, barely missing the pair lying on the edge of the lot. The sudden commotion attracts the attention of a few passerbyers, who wander over to take photos. One of them snaps a photo of Crystal and Loki.

"Sorry," Loki apologizes in a small voice, "I just remembered that I planted one there."

Crystal coughs, her body lightly covered with sand. "Why did you make the mines so small?"

"We were low on funding, I had to cut costs somewhere!"

Crystal groans and pushes Loki off her. She looks down at him and smirks, her hands perched firmly on her hips, "If that was the case, then why did you write your name on every brick?"

Loki gets up of the ground, a playful glare in his eyes. "This conversation is over," he remarks as they head away from the estate.

"So, why settle for head adviser?" Loki asks Crystal as they head down the Road to Nowhere and away from the catastrophe that occurred fifteen minutes ago, "Why not aim bigger?"

"You mean dictator?" Crystal jokes, picking some sand kernels out of her hair, "It's been done," she answers, "Not well, but…yeah," Crystal turns to the side, now noticing Loki lingering behind. Crystal steps towards Loki, who is staring somberly at his former estate on Tesla Court, which has been boarded up and roped off by the police department. Loki sighs as all the painful memories of what once was rush back to him. Crystal walks over to her housemate and grabs him by the arm, pulling him from away his house and out of his trans, "Come on."

"Vidcund's a bad man, Crystal," Loki speaks up after the pair has walked in silence for a few minutes, "It's amazing that you don't see it."

"Really? Vidcund's the bad guy?" Crystal challenges, "Not the person who enslaved over half of the community?"

"You're making it seem like this whole thing is black and white, Crystal," Loki states, his focus on the floor, "But there's two sides to every story. And you, like most of this city, only know half of it. A third of it if you count Circe," he corrects, looking up at her. Loki sniffles, "No one is one hundred percent bad or good, sims are a mix. But Vidcund? He's mostly bad," he adds, stopping when he notices Crystal has clearly had enough of his spiel, "So, why did you really have to cancel on Kristen?"

Crystal quickly turns to the side, surprised that she would actually have to address this event. "I…didn't feel well," she stutters.

Loki stares up at the sky. "Come on, don't give me bullshit. I want to know the truth."

"It was nothing, believe me," Crystal responds, unable to look her housemate in the face.

"Crystal, please," Loki states, "I know you better than that. You're not the kind of sim who gets upset over nothing. Now why didn't you go?"

"Well, I was supposed to, but…" Crystal trails off, unable to believe that she is about to spew out her relationship troubles to a man who tried to annihilate her existence a mere month ago, "…Lazlo didn't want to take me."

Loki stops in place, his demeanor immediately changing at her mention of the Curious brother, "Oh."

"And then we got into a huge argument…again," Crystal adds with a sigh as she stops next to Loki, "And, knowing him, he'll probably stop by and make it up to me tonight."

"Listen Crystal," Loki states, letting out a heavy sigh before staring up at her, "Lazlo is the least terrible of the Curious brothers, but that doesn't mean that you should settle for him."

Crystal cocks her forehead. "You really think I'm settling for Lazlo?"

"Everyone thinks your settling for Lazlo. It was on the cover of Strangetown Gossip last week," Loki claims as the pair continue walking down the main road, "To be fair, it was a slow news week. But honestly Crystal, if you're with Lazlo, then you don't have any sense at all. He's not the kind of guy who's ever going to be into someone. It doesn't matter how great you are, that's just not who he is," Loki reiterates, staring into the townie's eyes.

Crystal sighs, Loki's words weighing heavier on her than she would like to admit. "And how would you know that?" she wonders.

"Trust me, if it's one thing I know, it's the Curious brothers," he remarks as the pair arrive at the front door of their residence.

Crystal unlocks the door and moseys inside, instantly perking up when she hears the familiar ring of the landline. She quickly picks it up as Loki sits down on the living room sofa, "Lazlo?" she squeaks excitedly. Loki rolls his eyes. "Oh, hey Charlie," Crystal replies, her smile fading at the sound of her colleague's voice. "Look, it's not that I don't think you're a good guy. I'm dating Lazlo, and I'm not really interested in pursuing anything new-"

Loki walks over to Crystal and snatches the phone from her. "You've called here five times this week! Get over it, Charlie! SHE'S NOT INTO YOU!" Loki storms, slamming the phone down on the hook.

Crystal turns to Loki, looking positively horrified. "Loki!" she hisses.

"Well, it's true, isn't it?" Loki asks. Crystal sighs and nods, "See, that's the problem. You don't know how to say no to people," he states, "If you don't tell people what you want, they're just going to walk all over you. That's how you ended up with me," Loki sighs.

Crystal shakes her head, "That is not true – I wanted you."

" _Right_ ," Loki says dubiously, folding his arms, "That's why you avoided me the entire first week," he notes as he ends towards the couch.

Crystal stands in the center of the room, her mind going a mile a minute as she stares down at him, watching as Loki carefully adjusts one of the pillows on the sofa. "Hey, do you want to go to Kristen's wedding with me?"

Loki looks up at Crystal, genuinely stunned by her proposal as he gathers the right words to say to her.


	8. You're Not Sorry

**Author's Note:** The following chapter contains dark themes involving suicidal thoughts and language. If you are uncomfortable reading about this topic, I encourage you to skip this chapter. My heart goes out to anyone who has experienced or is experiencing this hardship. Please seek help. You are not alone in this world. ❤

* * *

 **Still in Love With You**

 _Chapter Eight – You're Not Sorry_

" _There are two sides to every story. I think people like to label others as good and evil because it's a lot easier than actually getting to know someone. It's a lot easier than admitting they were wrong and seeing someone as more than two-dimensional. I'm aware of how others see me, and I let them believe it because I know they'll never listen to the truth._

" _You know how people tell you not to put your happiness in the hands of someone else? Well, they never tell you how dangerous that really is…"_

 _Strangetown – Fifteen Years Ago_

Fifteen-year-old, socially-awkward Loki Beaker is sitting at a picnic table outside of Strangetown High School, doing his best to pretend to study from his physics textbook as he secretly watches Circe and Vidcund talking across the school grounds. Loki sighs, lovelorn, as Circe flirts with her boyfriend against the main building.

" _At that moment, I had never been more determined to get something in my life. But if I had known the trouble it would've caused me, I would've gone back in time and slapped myself in the face for thinking she could ever be truly mine…"_

Five years later, Loki and Circe are in college in the middle of their sixth semester at S.I.M.S. University. "What do you mean you don't want to move in together?" Loki cries, standing in the center of his solo apartment, "We've been planning this for months!"

"Look, I just don't think it's a good idea, okay?" Circe squeaks, turning away from her boyfriend, "There's just so much going on in my life."

"It's Vidcund, isn't it? You're seeing him again," Loki accuses, unable to look his girlfriend in the eyes, "Every time you do, you pull away from me!"

Circe looks out the living room window and sighs, "It's not Vidcund. I'm one-hundred percent done with him."

"… _And stupidly, I believed her."_

Loki and Circe are standing in the center of the Strangetown crater, Circe's unconventional choice of wedding location attracting more residents than expected. Loki smiles as Circe finishes her vows, the unbridled joy bubbling up in his stomach as the priest declares them man and wife. Loki looks to the side, only to find Vidcund standing at the edge of the crater, staring down at his newfound bride in sorrow.

" _And just when I thought I finally had Circe to myself, I saw Vidcund. At that moment, I knew it would be impossible to get rid of him._

" _As the years went on, things were better between us. Circe finally packed up her things and moved into my house. Circe and I excelled in our careers and were finally recognized by the scientific community for our talents._

" _We both wanted kids, but unfortunately we had troubles conceiving. And I had no one to blame but that damn cherry pitting machine. Circe assured me that she was willing to do whatever it took to get pregnant with our child. I assured her that despite my incompetence, we would find a way._

" _But when Circe got pregnant after I was gone for three months, I started to get suspicious…"_

Loki rushes into the castle through the back doorway, his hands itching from his latest scientific experiment gone wrong. The physicist vigorously shrubs off his hands and turns off the water. He steps back suddenly, eyeing a pregnancy test thrown carelessly into the trashcan. Loki scans the area before slowly picking the device up, his heart breaking as he eyes the positive display on the other side.

" _We were so happy. Perhaps that was all in my head…"_

"Alright," Pascal Curious says, standing up from his seat and placing his hands on the table in the center of Strangetown City Hall. He smiles as he scans over all six of the council members before continuing with the most important council meeting since Olive Specter was elected mayor, "Now that we're all here, the meeting can begin," he announces.

Across the table, Loki cocks his head to the side watching as Circe types away on her phone.

"Today's first and only order of business: Olive Specter, the city's current mayor and eldest resident, is gravely ill, and we need to nominate a successor to serve the last two years of her term," Pascal informs the group, "Olive has turned the decision over to the council, so whoever we pick will become the new mayor of Strangetown, effective immediately. So, are there any nominations?"

Loki scans the table, stopping on Vidcund, who is typing away on his phone across from him. Loki leans back in his seat, his stomach tightening at this news.

" _To say I didn't know would be the biggest lie I ever told, but it would be a million times better than living with the truth…"_

Loki smiles as he steps out of his house on a bright, Monday morning, mere steps away from another blissful day at work. "Oh shoot!" Loki cries, stopping midway down front staircase, mentality kicking himself for forgetting to put on his lab coat. He quickly turns around and re-enters the house, his ears ringing as he hears an unwelcomed voice up grand staircase.

"God, you're hot," Vidcund pants, followed by a few smacking noises that sound like kisses.

"I know," Circe growls, "And you can do me _all night_."

Loki steps back, feeling his heart sink in his chest, the world around him seemingly going a mile a minute. Loki covers his mouth with his hands and crouches down on the linoleum, doing his best to quietly bawl his eyes out.

A few moments later, Loki stands up. He takes a deep breath, gathering his composure before announcing his presence up the staircase, "Circe sweetie, I'm back!" he states as nonchalantly as he can muster, "I think I forgot my lab coat!"

" _I don't know exactly why I didn't go up there right away and catch Circe in her web of lies. I guess I figured that if I didn't see it, it wasn't really happening. And as crazy as it sounds, part of me believed this._

" _But even after all Circe put me through, I still wanted to please her. So when Circe told me to take over Strangetown, I did it without a second thought. Maybe I just couldn't stand the thought of someone beating me at my own game, or maybe I was too far gone in my state of delusion to know any better._

" _Okay. Fine. I know the real reason why I did it. I did it so I wouldn't have to face the fact that we were over._

" _I tortured Vidcund because I wanted him to suffer. I tried to get rid of him because it was the only way I could have Circe all to myself…"_

Loki is standing behind the abandoned factory deep in the depths of the Ole Town Woods after successfully capturing the Curious brothers and completing stage five of his master plan. He turns to his minions, two of which are holding a badly-beaten Vidcund against the building.

"Why are you doing this, Loki?" Vidcund squeaks, his face bleeding as he squints at his rival. The sun is blaring behind him. "You already have Circe."

"See, that's the thing, Vidcund," Loki begins, pacing so close to Vidcund that he can feel Loki's hostile breath, "I never had Circe because you were there," he growls as his minions hold Vidcund's head up, the Curious brother too weak to stand, "You're _always_ there!" he barks, "And you'll always be there until I get rid of you for good!"

"Loki," Vidcund begins, barely able to push the words out of his aching body, "I'm sorry-"

"You're sorry?" Loki spits, glaring at his rival so hard it hurts, "You must think I'm some of kind of idiot, Curious. You're not sorry," he declares, fire lacing his voice, "You were _never_ sorry! And as long as I live, I will never forgive you!"

" _After leaving Vidcund to die in the hands of another, I thought I had solely won Circe's affections for good. But what I had failed to consider was that Vidcund was just as powerful dead as he was when he was living…"_

Loki sighs as he turns off the television, which hasn't stopped airing the controversial tape of himself beating up the Curious brothers since Circe leaked it to every major news station across the Simverse. "Circe!" Loki shouts, jumping off his throne as Circe casually walks by him from the kitchen, "What the hell?! Why did you sell me out to the media?"

Circe huffs and crosses her arms over her torso. "Because…I never wanted any of this, okay?"

"What are you talking about?" Loki replies, unable to believe what he is hearing, "It was your idea for me to take over the neighborhood in the first place!"

Loki watches as Circe shrugs, looking as though she'd rather be anywhere but in his presence right now. Loki sighs, "You still love him, don't you?"

Circe nods, "Yes," she states coldly, not bothering to respectfully match his gaze, "and I'm leaving you, Loki. You and I are done."

" _Those five words were the cruelest thing anyone had ever said to me. They still haunt me to this day. As much as I didn't want to believe it, Circe was done with us, and there was nothing I could do to change her mind. My will was gone, I didn't care about anything anymore and it showed…"_

Loki Beaker is situated on his black, spiked, and red-smoke-spewing throne. He steps down suddenly, glaring menacingly at the group of townies that are kneeling in front of him. The townies are shackled together, and standing in front of them are Circe and Crystal.

"Alright, I want to know the truth, and I want to know it now. Who among you was responsible for this rebellion?" he snarls, watching as the townies began to look around the room, seemingly terrified by the hundreds of guards that are surrounding them and the exits.

Crystal steps forward and opens her mouth to speak, but Circe pulls her back and turns to face her husband.

"It was me. I did it," Circe confesses, her expression showing no signs of remorse. Behind her, Crystal looks puzzled, perplexed by this rather shocking confession.

Loki walks over to his wife, in clear disbelief of what he just heard. He had expected political betrayal but not from the woman he loved. "Circe, why?"

Circe swallows, still staring at the wall. "Because…you killed my lover."

All of the townies gasp.

"Shut-up!" Loki commands, "Or I'll kill every last one of you!" The townies back down, clearly frightened. Loki turns to the alien guards, pointing at the group of shackled townies. "Now get this trash out of here, I don't want to see it again." The alien guards nod and lead the townies out the door.

Loki turns away from the entrance, sighing as he gazes at his reflection in the mirror. Even though he appears confident on the outside, all he sees is a broken man. Seeing her chance, Circe grabs Crystal by the arm, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Give him hell," Circe states before three of the alien guards grab her, leading her deeper into the residence. Circe's plea stinging Loki more than he'd care to admit.

Crystal stands awkwardly in the almost-empty room, everyone seeming to have forgotten about her. Finally noticing her presence, Loki quickly turns around, finding himself face to face with the young townie girl.

"I'm not afraid of you, you know," Crystal coldly states, "You can scare them, but you can't scare me. I've seen too much to be surprised by anything you do."

"Well, congratulations," Loki responds, flinging his hands together in a fake applause, "What? Do you want a medal or something?" he asks mockingly.

Crystal continues to stare right at him, unfazed by his comments. "I hope you know your reign of terror is limited. It's only a matter of time before some sims rise up and get rid of you."

" _One could only hope,"_ Loki thinks solemnly while doing his best to appear resilient to the rebellious townie in front of him. Although, deep down, he knows he is really keeping up this pretense for himself.

"You know," Crystal continues, her strength growing as her voice rises above him, "you talk about how Vidcund was a failure, but you know what? You'll never be half the leader that he was! You have a whole city, Loki," Crystal speaks, gesturing towards the Strangetown landscape, "But not one of those sims would die for you."

" _This line hurt me more than Crystal would ever know, since Circe had just admitted that she would die for Vidcund…"_

A few months later, Loki stands on the roof of his residence, staring out at the apocalyptic city. He is feeling surprisingly calm for a man who is about to battle to the death with his greatest enemy. "I can't lose," Loki speaks into the silence, a couple of his minions guarding the exits behind him, "Either he kills me, or I kill him. And at this point, I'm fine with either."

Mere hours later, Loki and Vidcund are on the roof of the three-story, medieval-style castle. Vidcund is slouched down, grabbing the side of his body in pain as Loki towers above him. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Vidcund Curious, my greatest rival," Loki begins, his hand on his hip triumphantly, "You know, I always knew that it would come to this. But I got to give you some credit – I didn't even think that you were going to make it this far – so congratulations for barely passing my pathetically low expectations."

"Look, I know it hurts, so why fight it?" Loki states, watching as Vidcund struggles to stand up straight, his side killing him. "You can give up now and save yourself a lot of trouble. I mean, we both know you're going to die anyway. And with my latest and greatest invention, you can die any death you'd like! And don't say 'old age' cause that isn't an option!" Loki growls, hoping to silence any chance of a sassy response from his enemy. "I'm not going to take any sass from no plant biologist!"

"You're a scar to the scientific community, Loki!" Vidcund retorts, "You've used science to kill hundreds of innocent sims for your own selfish motive! You don't even deserve to be called a man of science!"

Loki rolls his eyes, waving his hand in a brush-off. "Please! Science is a waste if it's not used for personal gain – for _evil_ ," he clarifies, "And that's why you'll always be a failure, Vidcund, cause you and your brothers waste all your time building stupid little gadgets, and they don't even work," Loki stresses his point, getting down in Vidcund's face, "For years I've watched you goof around, wasting the city's potential. So, I did what any good man would do, I took it from you fair and square and brought this city to the glory that it deserves!"

"What you're doing is sick!" Vidcund fights back, "You're using your power to establish a world where only you can thrive! A world with ultimate authority, where anyone who questions you 'disappears'!" Vidcund yells, "You're the real coward, hurting people and refusing to face what you did! You should've killed me when you had the chance, because now you're going to have blood on your hands, and you won't be able to talk your way out of this one!" Vidcund warns.

Vidcund stands up straighter, looking the dictator right in the eyes. "It was never about the power or the authority or the money for me, Loki. For me, being the mayor was about bettering peoples' lives. For me, it was about _Strangetown_ ," Vidcund confesses, stepping towards him, "And it kills me every day that you actually think that this city is yours."

Loki leans back, returning to a standing position, a cold glare blaring from his eyes. "This city is mine, Vidcund. Face the facts, I have won," he declares, though he is unsure if he believes this.

"If the city really is yours, then take it from me! I _dare_ you," Vidcund challenges, throwing his arms up towards him. Loki snarls and attacks Vidcund, knocking him to the floor as the pair get into an all-out fist fight. Vidcund pushes Loki back with his foot, causing the villain to fall to the floor.

Loki quickly gets up, glaring at his rival. "You fight like a girl, Curious! No wonder why Circe married me!" he counters, punching Vidcund in the gut. Vidcund punches him back, his facial expression softening as he looks down at his injured body.

"Look at this!" he exclaims, moving towards Loki, "Look at what you did to me! Tell me, was this worth it?" Vidcund shouts, turning his arms over so Loki can see all his cuts and bruises. "Does this make you happy?" Vidcund challenges.

" _At that moment, I realized that it didn't, but it was too late to turn back now._

" _When I had lost the war, I accepted my fate to be six feet underground and leave Vidcund as the sole victor of Circe's heart. I wouldn't let this fact torture me any longer as it had for most of my existence._

 _Circe would never be mine, and I could live with that when I was dead…"_

"Loki, you have a visitor," chief of police, Nervous Subject, states as he taps on the bars of Loki's cell at The Strangetown Correctional Facility. Loki sits up slightly as Vidcund appears on the opposite side of the cell bars, two body guards standing on either side of the mayor of Strangetown.

"Oh, it's just you," Loki says.

"Hello, Loki," Vidcund greets briskly, "The council asked for me to speak with you before we voted. I guess even after all you did, there are still some people here that want treat you like a human being instead of the disgrace that we both know you are," he states smugly.

Loki sighs, crouched down on the floor of his cell as he stares into the cement below them. Vidcund's smile falls slightly when he sees the broken look on his rival's face. "I wanted you to win, you know," Loki speaks into the silence, "I wanted you to kill me," he whispers, staring into Vidcund's eyes, "But you fucked it up!" Loki screams, clenching his fists to his sides as his eyes drench with tears, "If you have any heart at all, please execute me," Loki begs, throwing his head to the floor, " _Please_ , I don't want to live anymore."

Vidcund steps forward, his heart shockingly feeling sympathy towards the former dictator of the city. Vidcund nods, "Okay."

" _With nothing left to live for, all I wanted was to leave this world. Unfortunately for me, I needed the help of Vidcund to do it, and I knew I could never count on him to make things easier in my life…"_

The next day, Nervous knocks on the cell bars, Loki still situated in the same spot on the cement floor. He hadn't slept a wink that night, but he knew it didn't even matter. Loki perks up a bit when he feels Nervous's shadow wash over him.

"The council voted last night," Nervous states from the other side of the steel bars.

Loki sits up slightly, pretending to be shocked by this news, "Oh?"

"Yes," Nervous confirms, "They voted to spare you."

"What?!" Loki cries, standing up in anger, his fists clasped at his sides, "Why?"

Nervous shrugs. "I guess they thought that you living with what you did is more of a punishment than taking your life."

Loki stares helplessly at Nervous, unable to believe what he is hearing, his knees close to giving out.

"I know," Nervous replies, "I was surprised too, but they have the final say, so I'm going to trust their decision," he says, leaning against the bars, "Listen Loki, second chances are given once in a blue moon around here, so don't blow this," he advises as Loki continues to stare up at the chief of police, stunned, "That being said, who do you want to live with?"

…

Back in the present day, Loki is sitting on the sofa in Crystal's living room, tears forming in the corners of his eyes as all these memories come rushing back to him.

"So," Crystal asks once more, "do you want to go to Kristen's wedding with me or not?"

Loki turns to Crystal, who is staring at him sweetly from the other end of the living room couch. He firmly shakes his head. "No," he answers finally, "I'm done getting hurt."

Crystal watches as Loki sits up from the sofa and exits the room, her face filled with confusion as Loki locks himself in the bathroom.

"Huh," Crystal says into the nearly-empty room, "What was that about?"


	9. Treacherous

**Still in Love With You**

 _Chapter Nine – Treacherous_

Isabella is sitting on one of the blue plastic chairs in the TV room at the Curious estate, a few pages into Pascal's infamous Physics book, _Physics for the Non-Physical_ , while said author cleans the kitchen counter behind her. Isabella flips to the next page, a yellow sticker which reads, 'Exclusive carbon-based autograph!', stuck to the bottom right corner of the cover.

Lazlo races down the staircase and approaches Isabella, holding his phone out in front of him. "Hey Izzy," he greets as Vidcund walks into the TV room from the hallway, "Can you help me draft this text message to Crystal?" Lazlo asks, scanning the message over, "I don't know how many hearts to include."

Behind him, Vidcund is raising an eyebrow at Lazlo's request as he attempts to adjust his mayoral tie. "I thought you wanted to break up with her?"

"I did," Lazlo replies, stepping back slightly to allow his brother to enter the conversation, "but I don't really have a lot of options in this town."

Vidcund sighs and rolls his eyes, "Now where have I heard that before?"

"So, Izzy, will you help me?" Lazlo pleads, holding his phone out to her. Isabella carefully closes the book she is reading and nods. Intrigued, Vidcund grabs the cell phone from Lazlo before he can hand it to her.

"Crystal, my sweet, I love you to bits," Vidcund squints, reading the message aloud, "I can't wait to see your-" Vidcund's eyes widen as he quickly hands the phone back to Lazlo, the last line burning in his brain, "-Okay. Wow. Yeah, I should've learned my lesson from last time."

Lazlo glares as he hands the phone to Isabella. "Yes, you should've," he snarls as Isabella reads it over. "So, what do you think?" he wonders.

"I think I need eye bleach after reading that," Vidcund remarks. Across the room, Pascal is laughing into his palm. Lazlo turns and glares at Vidcund before Isabella looks up from Lazlo's cell phone.

"Well, um…what are you trying to say with this?" Isabella asks.

"I think that's pretty obvious," Vidcund mutters.

"Will you get out of here?" Lazlo snaps, getting more irate by the second, "You are adding nothing to this conversation!"

"I don't know about that. I mean, I'm enjoying it more now," Pascal speaks up from the counter. Lazlo shoots death glares at both of his brothers.

Vidcund sighs, "Fine, I'll leave you alone," he states, walking over to the kitchen and grabbing some breakfast. Pascal moves his dishrag so Vidcund can sit at the island.

"God, I'm so happy I no longer have to compete with Loki for a girlfriend," Vidcund says, taking a sip of his milk.

"Yeah," Pascal agrees, "That was a pain in the ass."

"Fear not, everyone, for we have returned!" Kea announces as she and Tank step in through the front door.

"Hey guys," Isabella greets, revising the message on Lazlo's phone, "how did the house searching go?"

Tank sighs and stops in the TV room with his spouse. "Well, we found a house we really like, but it's next door to my dad's. So now we just have to decide if we're willing to spend the rest of our lives living by a nutcase."

"Well, it's beats living with them, right?" Pascal remarks from across the room.

Tank nods, "I guess that's true."

…

One hour later, after successfully helping Lazlo with his text message to Crystal, Isabella finds herself alone in the Curious residence, reading through Pascal's book in the TV room. Tank and Kea have left to go house searching while the three Curious brothers have gone to work for the day, leaving the young college graduate with a surprisingly uneventful morning.

Just then, Ripp walks through the back door of the estate, whistling a happy tune. "Hey Izzy," he greets as he approaches his ex-girlfriend. He stops in front of her, now noticing that she is in the middle of something, "Uh, are you busy?" he wonders.

"Not really," Isabella replies, staring up at him, "I have no idea what's going on in this book." Isabella smiles and places a bookmark in it. She folds up the paperback and sets it down on one of the computer desks, "What's up?"

Ripp clasps his hands in front of him, surprised that he's made it this far as he stares into her warm eyes. "If you don't mind, I want to show you something," Ripp begins, feeling more anxious as he continues, "It'll only take an hour, and I could take you out to lunch afterwards."

"Oh," Isabella responds, fidgeting with her hands a tad, "uh…is this a date?"

"No," Ripp answers firmly, "Of course not."

"Then okay," Isabella says, the butterflies quickly draining from her stomach, "Sounds like fun."

"Great!" Ripp beams, gesturing her towards the back door, "Come on, I can't wait to show you. You're gonna freak when you see this!" he exclaims as Isabella follows him out of the residence.

…

"Welcome to my house!" Ripp proclaims to Isabella after their twenty-minute walk down the Road to Nowhere. Isabella steps forward and stares up at the unpainted one-story structure, which appears to resemble a hexagon from above. Ripp walks over to the white, wooden doorway and leans up against the wall, "Well, technically, it was our house, but now it's just mine," Ripp says, awkwardly avoiding eye contact with a confused Isabella.

She steps forward, "What do you mean?"

Ripp sighs, "Remember senior year when I was super busy outside of school and you barely saw me?" he questions.

"Yes."

"Well, I was busy doing odd jobs for Johnny to save up for this house," Ripp reveals, nervously rubbing the back of his neck, "It was supposed to be an engagement present for you, but then…well, you know what happened-" Ripp begins, quickly turning towards the door.

Isabella steps back, barely able to speak as guilt overflows her body, "Yeah," she mutters, unable to meet his gaze. Isabella clears her throat, figuring the least she can do is see the structure, "So, uh…why don't you give me the grand tour?" she suggests, flashing a small grin.

"Really?" Ripp squeaks, turning back towards his former lover; Isabella nods, "Okay," Ripp beams, "I think you're really going to like it. The outside is shaped like a giant G."

Isabella grins and gives a slight chuckle, "Of course it is."

…

Meanwhile, Vidcund has just arrived home for his lunch break and is searching around the house for his girlfriend. Vidcund stops in the kitchen when he hears a clamor, but it's only Pascal digging into a jar of peanut butter with a butter knife. "Hey Pascal, have you seen Isabella?" Vidcund asks, placing his hands flat on the countertop.

"Wait, let me check," Pascal replies, enthusiastically digging his knife into the jar, "Isabella!" Pascal cries straight into the peanut butter, "Isabella, are you in there?" he cries, staring deeper into the jar. Pascal turns back to his brother and shakes his head, "Nope. Haven't seen her," he genuinely responds, "But now that I think about it, I think I remember seeing a text that she wrote on the group chat saying that she was going out with Ripp somewhere," he says, sticking the knife out of the peanut butter.

Vidcund's stomach tightens in a knot. "Is it a date?"

Pascal shrugs, "Who knows?"

Vidcund sighs and nervously plays with his hands a bit. He sits down at the kitchen island, clearly worried about the whole situation. He turns to the side, spying the newest issue of The Strangetown Monthly in the corner of his eye. Vidcund picks it up and stares at the surface, which has a suggestive photo of Loki and Crystal gracing the cover. The photo looks like it's been taken in the middle of the dessert, near the abandoned side of Strangetown. "What the hell?" he mutters.

…

Twenty minutes later, Ripp is giving Isabella the grand tour of his newly-furnished estate, stopping every few steps to show Isabella a new area of the house. Ripp smiles as he leads Isabella through the top of the G, stopping in front of the only room that is isolated from the open floor plan. "And this, of course, is the bathroom," Ripp announces, guiding Isabella into the massive nine-by-nine room. Isabella smiles at the neon-blue-tiled surroundings, her eyes stopping on the most predominant feature in the room.

"Wow," Isabella awes, staring out at the porcelain pots, "Twin toilets. There's something I've never seen before."

"Yeah," Ripp says, crossing his arms as he stands at her side, "I figured it'd be more efficient. Now, if one of them breaks, I can just use the other one."

"Very resourceful," Isabella nods, placing her hand on her rumbling stomach, "Actually, do you mind if I use one of them now? I kinda have to go."

"Sure," Ripp nods, quickly exiting the room to give her some privacy.

Ripp steps into the hallway, staring out at the garden that he originally planted for Isabella. The garden is filled with beautiful flowers of all different colors standing in front of The Gray Woman of SimCity statue, the infamous woman who watches over young sims and protects them from flames. In the center of the garden is his mother's grave which he and Isabella had previously rescued from Olive's garden during the war. Ripp sighs as he mourns the past and stares out at what could have been his future.

Ripp is quickly interrupted by his thoughts by the sound of Isabella's phone ringing against the small table outside of the bathroom. He steps forward, eyeing the device which has a photo of Pascal, Isabella, and Amelia flashing on the screen. Ripp recognizes this as the picture Isabella took of the three of them after she completed her final senior year art project.

"Can you get that?" Isabella's voice chimes from the other side of the door, "It might be important."

"Okay," Ripp agrees, eyeing Pascal's name displayed at the top. He presses the green button and holds the device up to his ear.

"Izzy!" Pascal screams, clearly in a panic, "We don't have much time, so listen as closely as you can," he instructs, going a mile a minute, "In the basement, there's an architectural duplicate of this painting called _Two Scary Clowns_. Now, I'm going to need you to-"

Ripp tilts his forehead, trying his best to follow his instruction, "Pascal?" he squeaks.

"Ripp?" Pascal pauses for a moment before letting out a shrill shriek and immediately hanging up.

Ripp pulls Isabella's cell phone away from his ear, more confused by the second as he stares down at the dropped call. He shrugs and stares down at the screen, quickly scanning the area before hovering his finger over the photo icon, his intrigue getting the best of him as his stomach ties into a knot.

He presses down on the icon, opening the app on Isabella's phone. He scrolls through the general album, the first of which are full of picture after picture of sunsets and flowers before he finally comes across some photos of Isabella and Vidcund. Ripp stops on a random photo, which is a close-up shot of Vidcund with his arms wrapped around Isabella, hugging her from behind as he lovingly rests his head on her shoulder. The pair are dressed in their everyday attire and smiling into the camera. Ripp's stomach sinks as Isabella's phone buzzes. Three texts from Vidcund appear at the top of the screen, asking Isabella of her whereabouts.

Ripp sighs as he sets Isabella's cell phone back down on the table near the bathroom, now knowing for certain that him and Isabella are over. As if on cue, Isabella unlocks the door and steps out of the bathroom. Smiling when she locks eyes with her ex-boyfriend.

"Did I miss anything?" she wonders.

Ripp quickly shakes his head, "No," he answers, "It was just Pascal."

"Great," Isabella beams, picking up her cell phone and turning towards him, "So, do you still want to go to lunch?"

"Actually, I should probably stay here," Ripp says, doing his best to be respectful of Isabella's newfound relationship, "I still have a lot of work to do on the house."

"Oh, okay," Isabella says, sounding a little disappointed at this news, "Then, I guess I'll see you later."

"Yeah," Ripp nods, taking a step away from his friend, doing his best to hide the sorrow in his face, "Goodbye Isabella."

…

Fifteen minutes later, Vidcund is nervously pacing the living room, checking his phone every so often for updates from his love. He stops when he spots Isabella walking across the front lawn through the greenhouse window. Vidcund steps away from the window and deeper into the hallway as Isabella enters the house. She steps into the hallway and turns, her face lighting up when she sees Vidcund. "Hey," Isabella greets, "Were you waiting here for me?"

Vidcund blushes, nervously rubbing the back of his neck, realizing he's been caught red-handed, "Uh, well…"

"Never mind," Isabella states, waving it off, "You can tell me later. I'm so tired, I'm gonna go take a nap."

"Oh, uh, okay," Vidcund says, watching as Isabella walks into his bedroom. He smiles, letting out a huge sigh of relief before following her into the room.

Vidcund walks over to Isabella, stopping her mere inches before she gets into bed. Isabella turns towards him, a puzzled gaze spread across her face as he stares down at her, a glint of playfulness in his eyes. "Izzy, my sweet, I love you to bits-"

Isabella laughs and wraps her arms around him, pulling Vidcund into a tender embrace. She pulls away slightly and gently places her finger over his mouth.

"I'm going to stop you there," she smirks, stopping Vidcund before he can continue, "I love you, too," Isabella confesses.

Vidcund steps back slightly, blushing profusely, Isabella's revelation striking him to the core. "Really?" Vidcund squeaks.

Isabella nods sincerely, staring deeply into his eyes as if what she is about to say is the most obvious statement in the world, "Of course I love you, Vidcund."

Vidcund beams and steps forward, moving his hand up and caressing her face, drawing Isabella into a passionate kiss.

…

Thunder rumbles outside Crystal's residence as the clock strikes midnight; the weather outside uncharacteristically cold and wet for the desert neighborhood. This kind of weather usually occurred once every year and was a scary sight to behold. Loki groans as he turns on his back, smack dab in the center of Crystal's couch. He slowly opens his eyes, a strange blob from the edge of the sofa warning him that he's not alone. Loki blinks a few times, the sim coming into focus. Seeing her, Loki backs up towards the opposing armrest, using the blanket as a shield for his torso.

"Hello, Loki," Circe greets, basking in her ex-husband's discomfort, the full moon outside lighting the room. Loki screams and backs further away from her. Circe cocks her head, "Really?" she smirks, "One month apart and that's all you have to say to me?"

"No. Get away from me!" Loki cries, his command sounding more like a desperate plea, "You can't torture me anymore!"

Loki watches as Circe stands up from the sofa and strolls over to him. Circe hovers over him, using the top of the sofa to hold herself up as she stares down at Loki in fake pity. "Aww…" she states condescendingly as she shakes her head at his fear, "I don't think even you believe that."

"Why won't you just leave me alone?" Loki wonders, "Haven't you done enough to me to permanently destroy my life?"

"I didn't ruin your life, sweetie, you did that to yourself," Circe snarls, pushing herself up so that she can pace the carpet, "You're thirty years old and already rejected from society. Nobody loves you; nobody wants to hire you. Nobody would care if you just laid down and died," she states, digging into him harder, her voice sounding almost demonic, "So, why do you even try?"

"Crystal! CRYSTAL!" Loki screams, jumping off the couch and racing over to Crystal's bedroom door. After a brief moment of frenzied knocking, Crystal begrudging answers, looking like she just got run over by a car. Crystal glares down at Loki, her anger instantly fading when she sees the terrified expression on his face. She has never seen him this scared before; Loki's even more terrified than when he was forced to surrender at the end of the Strangetown War.

"Crystal, Circe is in the house! We have to leave _now_!" Loki begs, kneeling in front of her.

Crystal carefully steps into the living room, surveying the area around them. She turns on the light only to find the room completely void of sim life, minus the two of them, of course. Crystal walks back to Loki, who is now crouched down on the carpet, hugging his knees to his chest. "Loki, there's no one here but you and me," Crystal tells him, standing next to the former Slavestown ruler, "Maybe you were just hallucinating."

"No, she was here," Loki firmly answers, trying to convince himself he's not crazy, "I swear. She was sitting on the sofa!" he claims, pointing to the empty couch.

Crystal follows his finger, cocking her eyebrow at the ordinary living room setup, "Yeah…" Crystal says, disbelievingly, "I'm going to go to bed now."

"No! Don't leave me!" Loki cries, grabbing onto Crystal's legs before she can walk back into her bedroom. "She'll come back and torture me some more!"

Crystal sighs and stares down at him. She doesn't know whether or not Circe had come there, but if Loki's psyche thought she did, then that was reason enough to protect him. "Fine," Crystal concludes, "You can sleep with me. Just don't tell anyone about this."

Loki nods, grateful for the invitation, "Okay," he promises.

A few hours later, Crystal starts to stir, a distressing yet muffled sound causing her to wake up prematurely. Crystal yawns and sits up in her bed, Loki nowhere to be seen. Crystal's stomach sinks as she starts searching the house for him. She steps into the living room, spotting the young man crouched behind the sofa crying into his hands. Crystal peeks over the couch, her voice laced in concern, "Loki?"

Loki slowly pulls his head up from his hands, his face stained with tears. He stops sobbing when he locks eyes with her. "Crystal," Loki weakly speaks, "I uh, thought you were asleep."

"I was," Crystal answers, astounded by this bizarre encounter, "I just-wow, sorry," she apologizes, unable to complete her original response, "I just never thought I would see you cry."

"Why?" Loki squeaks, "I'm not a monster."

Crystal nods, "I know."

"No, you don't," Loki says, firmly staring into her eyes, "No one does," he confirms before breaking down in front of Crystal, "Why won't she leave me alone?"

"Aww, come here," Crystal smiles, wrapping Loki into an embrace as she helps him off the ground, "You're sleeping with me tonight."

Five minutes later, Crystal and Loki are lying down on opposite sides of Crystal's bed, staring out at each other. "You know, you're not a bad guy," Crystal states sincerely, "I mean, you are, but-"

"I know," Loki states, giving a small smile. Crystal reaches over to him and delicately strokes the side of his face. Loki sighs and closes his eyes, seemingly enjoying her touch.

…

The two talk late into the night, neither one of them complaining about their lack of sleep as the sun peeks over the horizon, seeping through the curtains with a deep, golden glow. "Man, this takes me back," Loki says, he and Crystal lying down next to each other on the mattress, his hands perched over his stomach, "I haven't slept in the same bed as someone for years."

Crystal sits up against her bed frame, realizing how sad that statement really is. "I'm sorry," she apologizes.

"No, it's fine," Loki lies, "Circe and I were never big on physical intimacy. Usually the only time she wanted me was when she wanted to make a kid," he reveals, meagerly tracing the pattern on Crystal's bed sheets with his finger. "Sometimes I wonder if she was ever really into me," Loki confesses, "She was faking it for so long that, near the end, she didn't even bother to hide it," he reveals as Crystal stares at him with sorrow, hanging on every word, "You know, when Circe got pregnant, she tried to make it seem like it was a scientific miracle, but I knew better," Loki says, tears forming in the corners of his eyes, "I knew that baby wasn't mine. But I still loved her anyway. I was never going to harm Vanissa; she's a sweetheart."

The pair sit in silence for a moment, neither of them sure what to say to each other. Finally, Loki breaks the silence and turns to Crystal, "I'm incompetent, you know."

"No, I didn't," Crystal replies, shocked that Loki is being so open with this.

"Yeah," Loki confirms, nervously playing with his hands, "It's very difficult for me to have children, and you can thank Pascal and his stupid cherry pitting machine for that," he cracks, giving a half-smile, "So when it only took a short amount of time for Circe to get pregnant, I knew I wasn't the father. And that," Loki stops, about to burst into tears at any moment, "that hurt like hell."

Crystal nods and moves over to him, "I could imagine," she says, staring down at Loki, mere inches from her roommate's face. Crystal reaches down and grabs Loki's hand, the action catching the scientist off guard.

Loki looks down at their hands, a slight blush flushing on his face as he looks up at her, "Uh…?"

All of a sudden, Crystal's phone buzzes from the nightstand. She quickly let's go of Loki's hand and opens the text message. "Aww, it's from Lazlo!" Crystal squeaks, reading the message over. Loki sits up from the bed, suddenly feeling quite dejected and out of place. He leaves the room and closes the door behind him, a tinge of sadness in his eyes as he walks back to the sofa.


	10. She's Back

**Still in Love With You**

 _Chapter Ten – She's Back_

It's high noon at the Curious residence, and Isabella is sitting at the kitchen island unenthusiastically eating the leftover hamburgers that Lazlo prepared the night before, the sun lighting the kitchen with a soft, orange hue. Isabella sighs as she finishes scrolling through her cell phone, which hasn't rung once since last night. She sets it down on the countertop. Next to her, Pascal is attempting to feed Amelia her baby food, but the toddler keeps knocking the bowl on the floor. Pascal sighs as he plops down on the stool next to Isabella, both of the adults already looking done for the day.

The front door swings open as Vidcund steps into the kitchen, Crystal following suit while she types away on her cell phone. "Hey," Vidcund greets, passing by Isabella on his way to the refrigerator.

"Hey," Isabella squeaks, somewhat surprised to see him.

"Sorry. I just gotta grab my lunch," Vidcund replies, quickly reaching into the fridge and snatching the bag up. He slams the door shut and takes off out the back door, accidentally nudging Pascal in the process.

"Hey!" Pascal chimes, dropping his spoon on the floor.

Vidcund and Crystal race down the infamous Cover Up Road hill, doing their best to stay on schedule despite the small detour. "I just don't think it would be a good idea for you to sign it, okay?" Crystal chimes, looking up from her cell phone for a moment, "It'll make you look weak!"

Vidcund sighs and continues to trudge forward, "And if I don't sign it, then I'll look like a big jerk," he reasons. Vidcund turns to the side, his head advisor now glued to her phone. He clears his throat, "Naked picture of Loki?" he quips.

"Wow, Vid. _No_ ," Crystal retorts, her face flushed slightly, "He just asked where the dish soap is."

"He's sure been asking that a lot today," Vidcund replies, staring up at the clouds, "I'm just going to make a wild deduction here and say that he's trying to get with you."

Crystal laughs and rolls her eyes, "Come on, Vid. Loki is not trying to get with me. He said he was done getting hurt!"

Vidcund shakes his head, clearly irate that so much of their time has been consumed by talks of his rival, "If you say so," he mutters.

…

The next morning, Vidcund races into the kitchen. He drops his briefcase as he locks eyes with Isabella, who is eating her lunch by herself at the kitchen island. Seeing him, Isabella quickly stands up and pushes her plate away.

"Hey," Vidcund says, completely out of breath as he runs his fingers through his disheveled blonde hair.

"Hey," Isabella squeaks.

The pair meet in the middle of the kitchen, passionately wrapping their arms around each other. They start to make out.

Vidcund groans as the timer on his watch goes off a mere fifteen seconds later, causing them to part. Vidcund sighs, his arm still wrapped around Isabella as he stares down at the time on his wristwatch. "Damn," he curses, the watch reading 11:15 a.m., "I'm sorry. I thought we had more time than that. I gotta go," Vidcund states, gently kissing Isabella on the forehead before grabbing his briefcase and bolting out the door.

Isabella looks down at the floor and sighs, suddenly feeling quite cold and empty without him.

Fifteen minutes later, Isabella is sitting in front of the inactive television set, staring off into space as the hugs the TV remote in her hands. Kea steps into the room slightly, staring at her best friend from the hallway, watching her curiously. Kea watches as Isabella brings the remote closer to her chest, tears welling up in her eyes as she hugs it.

"Hey, Izzy," Kea greets, too concerned for her bestie not to interfere, "What's wrong?"

"What?" Isabella says, immediately snapping out of her trans when she sees Kea standing in front of her, "Oh, nothing," she lies, not wanting to trouble her.

Kea cocks her forehead, a small smirk forming on her face. "You never were a good liar, were you?"

Isabella cracks a smile, "No," she states, sighing as Kea sits down next to her in one of the blue plastic chairs, "I haven't talked to my parents in three weeks, Kea," she reveals, staring up at the right bookcase, unaware of the fact that Pascal has stepped into the kitchen behind her, "And even though I feel like I made the right decision, I still feel so lonely," Isabella vents, turning to her best friend, "I haven't seen Vidcund much since I told him I loved him because he's been so busy helping the city. And Ripp and I aren't friends anymore because it's just five levels of awkward," she explains, staring down at the floor, "I guess I just feel like my world is getting smaller."

"I know what you mean, Izzy," Kea replies, giving a small comprehensive nod, "I felt that way every time one of my friends was juiced."

Isabella widens her eyes at this news, suddenly feeling quite ashamed of her problems. "I'm sorry, Kea," Isabella apologizes, blushing lightly, "I really shouldn't bother you with this stuff-"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Kea chimes, grabbing Isabella by the arm and pulling her back into her seat, "If I can't be there to support you when you're down, then what kind of best friend am I?"

Isabella smiles, wiping a few tears away from her eyes. "The best one a girl could ask for?" she squeaks, pulling Kea into a hug. Behind him, Pascal continues pretending to clean the counter as he flashes Kea an apprehensive look from across the room.

…

Fifty minutes later, Isabella is in the middle of reading Pascal's infamous physics book, _Physics for the Non-Physical_ , when said author walks into the room, decked out in full swimming attire. "Hey Izzy," Pascal greets, holding Amelia in his arms, Kea and Lazlo dressed up in their swimwear behind him, "Want to go swimming with us?" he wonders.

Isabella gently closes the book and stares up at him, "You guys have a pool?"

"Of course not!" Pascal declares, "We're going to the Strangetown community pool! You know, the one that smells like shit?" he chimes, sounding disturbingly okay with this piece of information.

Lazlo turns to his oldest brother, a realization suddenly dawning on him, "Uh, don't you have work today?" he asks.

Pascal looks to Lazlo and shrugs, "I gave myself the day off," he answers before staring back at Isabella, "So, what do you say, Izzy? Are you ready to have the time of your life?"

"Man, you are really overhyping his pool," Lazlo mumbles.

"Sure," Isabella responds, standing up from her seat in the TV room, her friend's sanguine attitude surprisingly contagious, "Let's go have some fun."

…

Ten minutes later, the five residents arrive at 94 Road to Nowhere, the most popular spa destination in town. Lazlo steps over to the vast swimming pool, whose water is glistening a green sewage color a few feet away from them. "Eww…" Lazlo cringes, holding his nose, hoping to relieve his nausea, "That looks disgusting!"

"You're right," Pascal chimes, stepping in front of Lazlo and staring down at the pool's surface. He gets up and adjusts Amelia on his hip, the toddler dressed in an adorable summer ensemble, complete with a straw hat, blue-flowered dress, and flamingo floatie flippers. Pascal turns to Lazlo and hands Amelia to him. "Cannonball!" Pascal enthusiastically shouts, racing forward and diving head first into the pool.

Pascal pops head up from the water, flashing the others an excited grin. "Well, what are you guys waiting for? Get in! The water's fine!" he promises.

"Eh, maybe later," Kea says, resting her hand on her now visibly-pregnant stomach, "I wanna check out the food first," she declares. Kea walks over to the shop, Isabella trailing awkwardly behind her.

Lazlo sighs as he stares down at Pascal, who is busy untangling what appears to be a large piece of seaweed from his foot. Lazlo shakes his head, "You are so embarrassing," he states.

A few feet away in the spa gift shop, Kea is in the middle of a rather lengthy exchange with the cashier over Nacho Cheese Doritos, whose powder she has spilled all over the bottom of her spring green cover up and onto her wine-colored bathing suit. Behind her, Isabella is standing next to a shelf of snow globes depicting various neighborhoods across the Simverse. Isabella is holding her arms over her neon pink bikini, the store surprisingly chilly due to the air conditioning. She turns to the side, feeling a slight chill go up her spine. Isabella doesn't know why, but for some reason she feels like someone is watching her. The young college graduate turns around, but there is nothing there besides a wall of freezers and a window. Isabella sighs and continues to nervously stand behind Kea.

Meanwhile, Pascal and Lazlo are standing at the side of the pool near a buffet table, which has been set up for the early dinner rush. Lazlo has just finished his fifteenth shrimp, when Pascal's eyes widen like saucers. "Stay down!" Pascal barks, quickly grabbing his brother by the arm and pulling him down behind the table with him. Pascal holds Amelia close to his chest as the trio duck for cover.

"What? What is it?" Lazlo squeaks before locking eyes with the source of the distress, "Oh my gosh, it's Circe!" he chimes, spotting the infamous woman adjusting her hair near one of the step ladders, "I thought she was in prison for killing Izzy!"

"Well, apparently, she got out."

Pascal and Lazlo turn around, hoping to shuffle their way off the lot, but are soon greeted by a pair of familiar tan legs blocking their path. Circe glares down at them, the young woman's expression giving them chills as she folds her arms over her bright green tankini swimwear, "Heh. Hey Circe," Lazlo waves meekly, "You look-" he begins, scanning the sim over, "-Surprisingly non-threatening."

"Is that why you're hiding from me?" she growls.

"No, it's the exact opposite, really…" Lazlo mutters, anxiously rubbing the back of his neck.

"Hey Circe," Pascal chimes, his mind seemingly elsewhere, "do you ever wonder what would've happened if you and I ended up together?"

Circe rolls her eyes, "Yes. The thought keeps me up at night," she sasses, "So, where's your dimwit brother?"

"At work," Pascal replies, "It's the middle of a workday."

"Well, then tell Vidcund that he needs to call me to discuss important business matters," Circe says, barely acknowledging them as she glares at Isabella, who is stepping out of the gift shop with Kea. Isabella instantly stops, turns around, and walks back into the shop when she sees her. "Tell Vidcund the second you see him. Don't waste my time, Pascal!" she commands before swerving on her heel and exiting the premises.

Pascal smiles and nods, holding his finger up in point, "Don't worry. I won't forget!"

…

Later that night, Isabella is relaxing on Vidcund's freshly-made bed, reading through the latest Simystery novel that her brother Brent gave her. Isabella sighs and impatiently flips to the end of the novel, hoping to determine whether or not the story is worth reading as Vidcund stumbles into the doorway, zombie-like in his tiresome state. Vidcund removes his brown jacket and gets halfway through unbuttoning his yellow shirt before he collapses face-first on the bed next to Isabella, who has set down the novel as soon as he entered the room.

Vidcund moans as Isabella reaches down and attempts to pull him close to her. After a moment of struggle, she settles on just moving over to him. "Hey Vid," Isabella greets, wrapping him in her arms.

"Huh? What?" Vidcund replies, doing his best to shake himself awake.

"I said hey," she smiles.

"Oh," Vidcund squeaks, barely able to mutter a response, "Hey."

"We went to the pool today," Isabella tells him as Vidcund's head flops into her chest, "We saw Circe." Isabella looks down suddenly, only to find Vidcund fast asleep on top of her, "Vid? Vid…?" Isabella calls, nudging him gently.

Vidcund groans a little and opens his eyes slightly, struggling to stay awake. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm awake!" he chimes, immediately getting up off his girlfriend, "I'm paying attention, I just-" Vidcund moans as his eyes begin to close, inviting him back into a slumber. He falls back towards the bed.

Isabella smiles, staring down at Vidcund in sympathy. "No, no. It's okay. You sleep," she soothingly states, "You need rest," Isabella claims, staring down at him lovingly, "Come here." Isabella lifts Vidcund up a bit, allowing him to rest his head back on her chest. Isabella sighs as she settles in next to him, delicately brushing Vidcund's hair away from his face as she embraces him in her arms.

…

The next morning, Isabella walks into the kitchen, feeling rather down after Vidcund's sudden departure for work. She sits down at the counter, Kea and Lazlo in a surprisingly heated debate behind her. "I have good taste!" Lazlo chimes, crossing his arms over his torso as he stands in front of the refrigerator.

"Uh-huh," Kea replies, hands on her hips, "Then why do you have the Sun and the Moon making out on your shirt?"

"What are you talking about? That's not-" Lazlo stops and gazes down at his signature purple t-shirt, which features a sun and moon division front and center. "Huh," he states, "On second glance, you may be onto something there."

All of a sudden, Tank walks into the room, nervously pacing the floor as he carries the latest script for his cooking show. "Hey Tank," Isabella half-hearted greets, pouring herself a bowl of Fruity Os cereal, "Uh…doing okay?" she wonders.

Tank sighs and stops in front of her, throwing the script down on the counter. "No," Tank replies, "We're taping this episode tomorrow, and I only have two Cooking skill points!" he chimes, returning to his nervous pacing, "What am I going to do? I don't know how to cook!"

"I can cook!" Lazlo chimes out next to him.

"Oh God, I wish I knew someone who could teach me!" Tank stresses, holding the sides of his aching forehead.

"I can. I have max Cooking skill!" Lazlo replies as Tank turns away from him and paces to the opposing wall.

"Well, I can't cook that well," Isabella confesses as Kea sits down next to her at the kitchen island, "I only have four Cooking skill points."

Kea nods, "Yeah, and I only know how to cook meat products," she adds.

"And I'm not allowed to go near the oven cause of what happened when Santa was here," Pascal begins, suspiciously rubbing his chin from his seat on the other side of Kea.

Tank sighs and stops at the center of the island, staring out at the three seated individuals. "That's okay guys. I just really wish I could find some sort of expert who could teach me."

"I EXIST DAMMIT!" Lazlo shouts, immediately catching everyone's attention. Lazlo slowly steps back and smiles, his friends' mouths agape. "Uh, hi," he awkwardly waves.

"You can cook?" Tank asks, seemingly surprised by this news.

Lazlo stares up at the ceiling, arms crossed, "Oh, so it's my fault that I wasn't well established in the last two stories?" he quips, "But to answer your question – yes, I can cook," Lazlo claims, "I once made entire banquet meal for Vidcund's first inauguration. It was penguin themed. Everyone loved it…except Loki," Lazlo adds, "He said it tasted like horseshit."

Vidcund quickly bolts through the back kitchen doorway, heading to the fridge for a quick five-minute lunch break before rushing back to city hall for yet another hectic day of work. "Hey people," he greets before swinging open the fridge and taking out a tub of potato salad. Vidcund takes a bite and turns to Pascal, "Did you do anything to this?" he wonders, gesturing to the salad, "It tastes tainted."

"Nah, food experiments are at the end of the month," Pascal reminds him.

Vidcund nods, "Ah."

"-But that could be from last month," Pascal completes.

Vidcund stops chewing for a second, then quickly steps away from his older brother. He shrugs. "Oh well," Vidcund states, "I don't really have time to care," he says, shoveling more potato salad into his mouth.

"Hey Vidcund," Tank speaks up across from him, "who makes the most of the food in this house?"

Vidcund swallows and walks back towards Isabella, stopping at the end of the island. "Lazlo," he states, pointing to his younger brother, "It's been that way since we were in college. He's practically an expert," he exclaims, wiping his hands on a napkin. "Well, I gotta go. See you guys later!" Vidcund says, heading towards the back door. Vidcund stops and eyes Isabella, who is watching him somberly from the counter. Vidcund comes back and hugs her, "Bye, kid," he whispers, Isabella immediately hugging him back.

Isabella sighs as she lets go of him, "Bye," she squeaks, sadly watching him depart as her friends continue to converse about Tank's cooking show.

…

That evening, Pascal, Vidcund, and Isabella are sitting at the kitchen island eating the dinner that Tank tried to make but ended up pushing onto Lazlo: chicken stir fry. Tank, Kea, and Lazlo are eating nearby in the TV room.

"Yeah, I mostly use Lazlo as a guinea pig for all my various scientific experiments," Pascal tells Tank from across the room, "Which is really strange if you think about cause he's so normal. It just goes to show you…" Pascal begins, stopping abruptly and staring straight ahead.

Tank cocks his forehead in confusion as he looks up from his plate. "It just goes to show you what?"

"Oh, I don't know," Pascal shrugs, "I was kinda hoping someone would complete that sentence for me."

Isabella gasps from the island as Vidcund collapses on the counter, his face landing smack dab in the center of his dinner plate, the thud echoing through the residence. "Vidcund! Oh my God!" Isabella cries, quickly lifting his head up and grabbing a napkin from the counter. She unfolds the napkin and gently wipes his face as Vidcund continues to sleep through this. His head flops onto Isabella's shoulder, the other sims watching them in concern. Isabella turns to Pascal, clearly in a dire panic, "We should take him to the hospital."

"Izzy, I think he's fine. He's just exhausted," Lazlo chimes in, helping Vidcund stand up out of his seat with Pascal. They lead Vidcund towards his bedroom.

"He's twenty-nine. He shouldn't be this tired!" Isabella cries, following Pascal and Lazlo into the hallway.

"Well, tell that to him," Lazlo mutters.

…

The next morning, Vidcund is sitting at the kitchen island, having recovered quite nicely from the dinner incident. Isabella gets up from her seat to use the bathroom, the first time she has left his side since the event unfolded. "Hey," Pascal greets, handing Vidcund a bowl of cereal as he stands in the center of the kitchen, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Vidcund nods, "I feel fine, why?" he wonders.

"Cause, you know, you can't keep doing this."

Vidcund tilts his head, puzzled, "Can't keep doing what?"

"You can't keep spreading yourself so thin. I mean, you can't just cram a relationship into five minutes a day," Pascal replies, "This is insane."

"I know," Vidcund answers, looking quite frazzled as he plays with his cereal, "But what am I supposed to do?" he wonders, setting his spoon down on his napkin, "I really don't think my schedule is going to get any lighter, so what? I'm just supposed to choose between my job and my girlfriend?" he claims, completely unaware of the fact that Isabella standing in the doorway. She creeps back into the hallway, leans up against the wall, and sighs.

"Izzy's not happy, Vid," Pascal informs him, "She's pretending that she is, probably because she doesn't want to stress you out, but she's not," he admits, "I heard Isabella tell Kea a few days ago that even though she's in a house full of people, she's lonely," Pascal reveals, Vidcund's heart sinking at this news, "And look at you! You're a wreck! And you're slowly killing yourself trying to please everyone."

"That's true," Vidcund sighs.

"Look, I'm not going to pressure you into making a decision, but you gotta do something if you want to live past thirty," Pascal states, "Otherwise, you're in trouble."

"Alright," Vidcund nods, knowing this wasn't going to be easy, as Pascal paces towards the fridge. Behind him, Isabella discreetly enters Vidcund's bedroom.

"Oh, wait! There was something else I was supposed to tell you," Pascal states, snapping his fingers as he moves back towards his brother, "Damn it! What was it?" Pascal taps his chin wondrously, then shrugs, "Oh well. Must not be important," he says before walking out of the room and leaving his brother alone with his thoughts.


	11. That Awkward Moment

**Still in Love With You**

 _Chapter Eleven – That Awkward Moment_

Isabella is sitting at the kitchen counter staring down at the latest issue of The Strangetown Monthly as she finishes the last bite of her lunch: a BLT sandwich. Isabella sighs as she stares at the glossy cover, which features a closeup shot of herself and Ripp on left side of the page and a closeup shot of Vidcund and Crystal on the right. A gigantic red slash separates the two pictures and the word 'CHEATERS' is printed at the top. Isabella groans and plops the magazine down on the countertop. She rubs her aching temples. As much as Isabella doesn't want to admit it, the magazine stories are starting to get to her.

Vidcund smiles as he steps into the room from the hallway, the shocked expression on his girlfriend's face suggesting that she had not expected to see him so early on a Friday afternoon. "Hey Izzy," Vidcund greets, stopping in front of her, "I was thinking. Do you want to go a date with me tonight?"

"Uh, sure," Isabella replies, still recovering from the surprise, "but don't you have work?"

"No, I took the afternoon off," Vidcund confesses, tracing the patterns on the counter with his finger, "I needed a break, and I feel bad that we haven't properly gone out yet," he adds, shyly staring down at her, "So, if you get ready now, we can spend the rest of the day together."

Isabella smiles, looking forward to spending a normal day with her boyfriend, "Okay. I'll just – get my purse," she completes, gesturing over her shoulder.

…

Six hours later, after a day filled with avoiding the paparazzi, Vidcund and Isabella have just been seated at a table in the corner of Bernard's Botanical Dining, Downtown's most plant-friendly eating establishment. Vidcund is dressed in his everyday attire, while Isabella is wearing a short, sleeveless pink dress. Isabella nods as she looks down at the menu, butterflies fluttering in her stomach as she feels the influx of multiple sims staring at her. Even though she suggested the restaurant due to Vidcund's love for botany, she can't help but feel out of place in more ways than one.

"So, what are we having today?" their waitress wonders, the blonde-haired sim approaching the table a few minutes later.

Isabella stares down at the menu, doing her best to stay composed despite the circumstances, "Uh…I'll just have a salad," she orders, closing the menu and awkwardly pushing it away from her. She leans forward and puts her hand up to her face, hoping to avoid another Strangetown-Monthy catastrophe.

"Hey, are you okay?" Vidcund asks once their waitress has departed to place their order, staring down at his girlfriend in concern, "You can get more than just a salad, you know. I have a mayor's salary."

Isabella sighs as she lifts her head up to face him, "I know," she states, "Sorry. I'm just nervous. I haven't been on a date in a while."

Vidcund nods and gives an endearing smile, "You don't have to be nervous, Izzy. It's just me," he assures her, grabbing Isabella's hand and rubbing it affectionately.

"But it's not just you," Isabella whispers, scanning the area lightly, "Everyone is looking at us."

Vidcund leans back in his seat and briefly looks around, catching the eyes of several diners. He turns back to Isabella and waves his free hand down, "It's okay. They'll grow tired of it eventually."

"Uh, yeah," Isabella states, but a large part of her isn't so sure.

…

Fifteen minutes later, Vidcund and Isabella are conversing at the dining table while they eat their respective meals. Vidcund has finished almost all of his steak, but Isabella has barely touched her food. "Pascal was afraid to get glasses because he thought everyone at school would make fun of him," Vidcund tells Isabella, cutting into his steak as he answers her question, "So I got even goofier glasses, so our classmates would make fun of me instead. And I guess Lazlo must've liked them because he got his own pair a few years later," Vidcund says, taking a bite of his steak.

"Aww, that's really sweet," Isabella replies, setting her fork down on her napkin.

Vidcund leans back in his seat and cocks his eyebrow, troubled by Isabella's distant demeanor. "Okay, what's going on?" Vidcund wonders, taking the napkin off his lap and setting it on the table. He scoots closer to her, "I know it's not the audience because this place is almost empty," Vidcund notes, gesturing at the vacant tables surrounding them.

"I-uh," Isabella sighs, fiddling with her hands under the table, "Are we going to sleep together?" she blurts out, the boldness of the question shocking them both, "Just tell me now, so I can quit freaking out about it."

Vidcund leans back slightly, clearly caught off-guard by the whole situation, "Uh…" he begins, blushing profusely.

"I'm sorry that was so forward," Isabella replies, feeling more awkward by the second, "but I've just spent all day trying to figure what this whole date thing means, and I know I probably should've just talked to you beforehand, but I was so scared that we weren't going to be on the same page and that I was just going to screw this whole thing up and I'm pretty sure that I just did it anyway, so…I'm really sorry," Isabella vents, hiding her face in her hands.

"Um, just let me pay for the food first, then we can talk about this on the way home," Vidcund assures her, stumbling to find his wallet.

…

Five minutes later, Vidcund and Isabella are walking down the Road to Nowhere, the stars lighting up their path to Cover Up Road. The pair walks in silence, neither one of them making a peep since they left the restaurant. Isabella holds her stomach, wondering how in fact she managed to ruin a date so fast.

"Izzy, relax," Vidcund tells her, staring down at the tense sim walking next to him, addressing her troubles, "You didn't screw up anything. I was hoping that we were going to talk about this anyway, but I didn't know exactly how to bring it up in the first place." Vidcund stops and turns around, now noticing that Isabella has stopped following him a few feet back and is now rubbing her eyes in the middle of the sidewalk, her body overwhelmed by stress.

Vidcund walks over to Isabella and grabs her gently by the hand. He looks softly into her eyes. "Look Izzy, I'm not expecting anything out of this," he says, watching as Isabella wipes away a single tear, "I just thought that you might want to go on this date with me. I mean, the war was especially rough on the two of us, and I know my job has been really hectic lately, so I figured we deserved to relax and spend some time with each other."

Isabella pulls her hand away from her eye and nods, "Oh, okay," she states, trying to mask the disappointment in her tone.

Vidcund tilts his forehead, unable to believe that this is actually happening, "Wait. Do you want to sleep with me?"

"Yeah," Isabella answers honestly, staring into his eyes, "I do."

"Wow," Vidcund blushes deeply, a huge simper spreading on his face, "Well, okay then."

…

Vidcund pushes his key into the lock of his outside bedroom entrance. He stares into the window; the house surprisingly dark and quiet at eight at night. Vidcund twists the knob and opens the door, sneaking into his bedroom with Isabella. "Okay," he whispers, gently setting the keys on his dresser as Isabella closes the door, "I think we're good to go-"

Vidcund moans as Isabella immediately pulls him into an embrace, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss. Isabella leans back and smiles, grabbing Vidcund by the hand and leading him to his bed. She lies down on it and pulls Vidcund on top of her. He gazes down at Isabella, the playful atmosphere instantly changing to one of heated desire. Vidcund leans forward, kissing his girlfriend a few times on the side of her face. Isabella turns her head slightly, noticing that Vidcund is gazing at her deeply. She moves forward, pulling Vidcund into a romantic kiss as she gently runs her fingers through his hair. The kiss deepens, turning into a rather steamy make-out session.

The pair parts as Isabella runs her fingers up Vidcund's chest and rests them on his shoulders. She leans forward and closes her eyes, pausing when she hears a familiar voice chiming through the adjacent wall.

"Yeah, I know what you mean, Mom. I don't like antifreeze either," Pascal blares, appearing to be in the middle of a rather bizarre telephone conversation, "It's false advertising. It did nothing for me when I was frozen!"

Isabella gazes up at Vidcund and sighs, her voice at a whisper. "We should stop," Isabella says, "I don't want to traumatize anyone…especially us," she jokes.

Vidcund nods as he hovers over her, understanding about the whole thing, "Okay," he states, moving off of her.

Isabella sighs as she feels Vidcund shift positions, finding herself surprisingly cold after he has departed. The pair sit in silence, side by side on Vidcund's bed, feeling rather awkward about the whole situation.

"Umm…do you want to go on the roof?" Isabella squeaks.

Vidcund lifts his head up, shocked by the sudden suggestion. "Uh, sure."

…

Vidcund smiles as he takes Isabella up to the highest point of the Curious residence – the signature lookout tower on the fifth floor. Isabella sighs as she reaches the top, the fresh desert air elevating her mood as she stares out at the city of Strangetown. "Wow. This is amazing," Isabella awes, staring out at the buildings in the distance, "It's so pretty at night."

"Yeah," Vidcund says, wrapping his arms around Isabella and hugging her from behind. He rests his head on her shoulder as the couple stare up at the stars together, "You know, I always wanted to kiss you up here."

Isabella moves forward and turns towards him, her eyes shining at this not-so-subtle request. She smiles and pulls him into an affectionate embrace before kissing him passionately once more.

"Should we go back?" Vidcund speaks up a few after the pair has resumed their original stargazing position, "I don't want to fall down three flights of stairs."

Isabella curiously tilts her forehead, "Has that ever happened before?" she wonders.

"Yeah, twice," Vidcund replies, "And, I hate to say it, but both times were hilarious," he quips. Vidcund and Isabella pull back, the pair not leaving each other's side since that morning. Vidcund grabs Isabella's hand and leads her down the stairs.

After a short trek, they land on the roof. Vidcund and Isabella turn back towards one another, still holding hands as the wind flows delicately through their hair. Isabella gazes up at Vidcund longingly, neither one of them saying a word.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Vidcund talks into the gently-flowing wind.

Isabella nods, "I think so."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes," Isabella replies, not having to think twice about it, "Are you?"

"Yeah," Vidcund says, pausing slightly as the wind picks up around them, "Should we do it now?"

Isabella nods once more, smiling genuinely at him, "I don't think I can wait any longer."

Vidcund smiles as he looks down at her, finding Isabella's request incredibly endearing. "Come here," Vidcund states, his eyes shining as he pulls Isabella close to him, their lips meeting as they begin their passionate tryst.

Forty-five minutes later, the pair is sprawled out on the roof, post-Woohoo. Vidcund gazes down at Isabella lovingly, holding himself up with his elbow as he hovers over her, his face sweating from the endeavor. He leans down and kisses her gently on the cheek before flopping down next to her and spooning his girlfriend from behind. Isabella happily sighs as she lies down on the roof, the tile surprisingly cool and comforting underneath their disrobed bodies.

"Forget science," Vidcund whispers affectionately into her ear, "I should study you for a living." Isabella smiles and chuckles.

…

Across town, Loki is sitting on Crystal's living room sofa midway through the daily crossword puzzle as Crystal stress paces a few feet away over her latest text message from Lazlo. Loki sighs as he taps his pencil against his chin, struggling to come up with the answer for forty-three across. "Hmm…what's a four-letter word for evil?" he asks, staring at his roommate.

Crystal stops pacing and turns towards him, her hands perched on her hips. "Did you try yourself?" she wonders.

"Nope. Let's see if it fits," Loki replies, eagerly returning to his puzzle. He perks up, realizing his name fits perfectly in the boxes, "-Hey look! I'm a crossword answer!" he chimes, holding the puzzle up, briefly showcasing it to Crystal before admiring it once more to himself, "That's when you know you've made it big," he grins, basking in his accomplishment.

The doorbell rings. Crystal cocks her forehead, confused as to who would visit them at this hour. She walks over to the door while Loki starts instinctively singing under his breath, _"If you wanna win this war, you gotta be someone else…"_ he sings before quickly stopping himself, "Damn it!" he cries, "Why is that song stuck in my head?"

"Circe!" Crystal calls out from the doorway, surprised to find the former scientist standing on her porch. Crystal moves to the center of the doorframe, doing her best to keep Loki out of Circe's line of vision, "What are you doing here?" she continues to announce loudly, hoping to warn Loki of his ex's presence, "I didn't know you were back in Strangetown."

"Yeah, I've been back for a while," Circe replies, her presence still as strong as always, "The town wouldn't exist without me."

"Of course," Crystal says, giving a small laugh at this claim, "So, what are you doing here? You want to hang out or something?"

Circe grins and throws her head back, letting out a slightly chuckle to the clouds. "Actually," she begins, "I think you have something of mine in your house. So, if you don't mind me getting it-" Circe immediately tries to step into the doorway, but Crystal quickly moves in front of her, blocking her path.

"What are you talking about?" Crystal responds, pretending to play dumb.

"What do you mean, 'what am I talking about'?" Circe barks, her patience already wearing thin, "I want to see my husband!"

Crystal cocks her eyebrow, "I thought you guys broke up."

"We did," Circe replies, still trying to push past the townie, "but there's a lot of complications here. Legally, we're still together-"

Crystal shakes her head, shielding Circe from the entrance once more. "Come on Circe, haven't you ruined his life enough?"

"Wait, you think _I_ ruined _his_ life?"

"Well, if you take into account him and Vidcund, you are the common denominator," she argues.

Circe steps back and crosses her arms, the expression on her face showing that she means business, "Oh, I see how it is," Circe states, "You just want to keep me away from him, so you can take Loki for yourself!"

"What? No!" Crystal chimes, her face rosy, "No, no, _no_. It is not like that at _all_ ," she tells her, "Besides, he doesn't even want to see you."

"What are you talking about?" Circe barks, "Of course he wants to see me!" she treks forward, pushing Crystal out of the way and stepping into the residence. Circe walks to the center of the newly-lifeless living room, "Oh Loki!" she chimes, her sing-songy tone causing Crystal to cringe.

The bathroom door slams and locks.

"-And he just locked himself in the bathroom," Crystal comments, her face dropping as she now unfortunately realizes that she has to pee.

A few minutes later, Crystal is sitting on the floor in front of the sofa with her head in her hands, doing her best to hold her bladder while Circe and Loki scream at each other through the bathroom door. Finally having enough, Crystal slowly stands up and marches over to the bathroom. She nudges Circe out of the way and knocks on the door.

"Loki, can you please open the door?" Crystal pleads, her bladder wearing thin, "I really have to use the bathroom."

"I'm not opening the door until _that thing_ leaves our house!" Loki shouts, glaring at Circe through the wooden door.

Crystal sighs, knowing her bladder is about to fail at any moment. "Loki, come on! I really don't want to gain a red memory!" Crystal pleads once more, her face lighting up when Loki swings open the door. She smiles in relief, "Thank you. Whoa!" she cries as Loki grabs Crystal by the arm and pulls her into the bathroom.

Loki slams the door shut behind them and locks the door, trapping the two of alone them in the bathroom. "What are you doing?!" Crystal whisper-hisses, hoping to keep their conversation a secret from Circe, "Get out of here. I can't go with you in the room!"

"Are you nuts? I'm not going out there!" Loki whispers back, wondering if Crystal has gone insane in the last few moments.

"What? Why? Are you afraid of her or something?" Crystal knows this is a stupid question the moment she asks it, but she is so distressed she doesn't have the time to choose her words carefully.

"Yes," Loki answers clear as day as he throws his arms out, "Aren't you?"

Crystal sighs as she locks eyes with Loki, her hand perched on her hip as she stares at his desperate gaze. "Okay, fine," she caves shooing him away from the porcelain pot, "Just turn around cause I really gotta go."

Meanwhile, outside the doorway, Circe is impatiently tapping her foot as she stares down at her watch. All of a sudden, she stands up straight, the sound of water flowing catching her attention. Circe tilts her head, a peculiar look on her face.

A couple minutes later, Crystal exits the bathroom, nearly knocking into Circe in the process. Crystal quickly moves away from her. "Circe, I really think you should leave," Crystal states, firmly staring at the terrifying woman.

Circe shakes her head, her arms tightly crossed, "I'm not leaving until I talk to my husband," she says definitively.

Crystal is about to open her mouth to protest when the bathroom door swings open behind her. Loki steps out of it, looking more determined than ever before. "Fine," he states coldly, glaring at Circe while Crystal stands in shock behind her, "We'll go to the back porch, okay?"

"Okay," Circe smiles.

"I wasn't talking to you," Loki snarls, turning to Crystal and giving her a small nod before exiting onto the back porch. Circe quickly follows.

"What? So, you're peeing in front of her now?" Circe declares, a questioning tone in her voice as they both arrive at Loki's chosen destination.

Loki rolls his eyes, already having enough of his ex-wife. "What are you doing here, Circe?"

"I came to see you," Circe replies, not giving her response a second thought, "to see the kind of man you've become. I just never expected you'd become some sort of domesticated housewife," Circe rebukes, making him feel weaker by the second, "This must be your dream, right?" she spews, "Living with the girl you have a massive crush on?"

Loki turns his back to Circe, holding himself as he blushes profusely at the comment. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Please!" Circe rolls her eyes, "Don't act like you were always 100% invested in our relationship! You would've had an affair if you could've," she claims, blazing towards him, "The only difference between her and Vidcund is that my feelings for him were actually requited," she says, moving to face him, "If you were any kind of a man, Loki, you would take my advice for once: Quit while you still can," Circe states, "Cause, honestly, who could love a man like you?"

Loki stands in silence, Circe's spiel shocking him to his core. He stays on the back porch for a few minutes, completely unaware of the fact that Circe has left the premises a mere three minutes before. His hugs his body, feeling more vulnerable by the moment.

Loki sighs as he walks into the house, immediately met by a concerned Crystal in his path. "Hey," she greets cautiously.

"Hey," Loki replies, his response devoid of emotion.

"Are you okay?" she wonders as she sits back down on the sofa, waiting for him.

Loki nods, barely looking at his housemate. "Yeah," he lies before walking past Crystal and closing himself in the bathroom, leaving the troubled townie alone with her thoughts.


	12. Front Page News

**Still in Love With You**

 _Chapter Twelve – Front Page News_

Isabella sighs as she slowly opens her eyes the next day, the early morning light from the Sun beating down on her, illuminating the room. She groans, groggily regaining her vision, a slight panic striking her body as Isabella realizes she doesn't immediately recognize her surroundings. She sits up and blinks a few times, only to find herself in Vidcund's bedroom as memories from the night before come fluttering back to her. Isabella lies down on the bed and sighs, her heartbeat returning to normal. She turns to the side, finding Vidcund fast asleep next to her. Isabella smiles and hugs him from behind, causing her boyfriend to stir. Vidcund turns on his back and gives Isabella the best post-wake-up smile he can muster.

"Hey," Isabella states soothingly, sitting up on the bed, "I missed you."

"Oh," Vidcund says, rubbing her arm affectionately as he blushes softly, "I missed you too."

Isabella nods and lies back down beside him, resting her head on his chest as he holds her. Vidcund gently strokes her shoulder. "Are you going to break up with me?"

Vidcund pauses and stares down at his girlfriend, a peculiar look spread across his face, "I wasn't planning on it," he states, clearly puzzled, "Where did that come from?"

"I heard you and Pascal talking," Isabella confesses.

Vidcund nods. Suddenly, it all made sense. "Is that why you were so nervous on our date yesterday?"

"A little bit," Isabella says, resting her hand on his torso, "I was also scared about us doing it."

"Izzy, you need to tell me these things," Vidcund says, gazing at her in concern, "If we're going to have a successful relationship, you need to share your feelings with me. I don't want you to suffer alone," he adds, hugging her close to him, "We're supposed to be a team."

"Okay," Isabella nods. She holds him tighter.

Vidcund smiles, "Good," he states, giving a sigh of relief, "But honestly, Izzy, no matter what happened on our date last night, I'm just glad that we got to spend time together."

…

Across the Road to Nowhere, Crystal is stepping out of her bedroom, digging through her white purse for her house keys. Crystal sighs as she steps into the living room, wearing her classic, everyday outfit as she continues to scrounge through her purse. "Damn it! I just had them! Why do I always lose these things?" she questions. Crystal perks up slightly when her hands run across her floral key ring, "Yes! I found 'em!" Crystal beams, pulling the keys out of her purse and holding them up triumphantly. She glances at the clock on the wall, her face falling, "Wow. Just in time, too. I said I'd be there in fifteen minutes," she adds, placing the keys safely into her pocket and stepping towards the sofa where she assumes Loki is residing, "Hey, I'm going shopping with the girls this morning. Chloe wants us to help her pick out a purse that matches her personality," she tells him, stopping at the foot of the sofa. Crystal tilts her forehead, eyeing Loki's legs sticking out from beneath it, "Uh…why are you behind the couch?" she wonders.

"I'm, uh, just cleaning underneath it," Loki lies, his muffled voice barely audible.

Crystal laughs, adjusting her purse on her shoulder, "Okay, weirdo," she replies, backing towards the door, "Stay out of trouble. I'll see you later."

"Yeah…bye," Loki mutters, cautiously pulling himself out from under the couch once he hears the front door lock behind him.

Loki sighs, stands up, and brushes himself off, still staring longingly at the doorway. Loki groans and starts pacing around the living room. "Come on Loki, you don't really like her," he tells himself, trying his best to keep his emotions at bay, "You just think you do because you're always around her, and you're still emotionally broken from Circe," he states, attempting to explain his worries away through logic, "Of course, that doesn't explain the first year I liked her…" he stops in place before immediately waving away the panic and pacing in front of the bookcase, "But it's okay. I can beat this. The longer I stay here, the more I'll realize that Crystal and I have absolutely nothing in common."

Loki stops beside the bookcase, a bright purple book catching his eye. "Huh," Loki mutters, "I don't remember seeing this before," he states into the silence, swiftly glancing around the room before pulling the book out of the shelf by its spine, "This is great. I haven't had a new book in ages! Now I can read all about-" Loki's face falls as he stares down at the cover, "Crystal Vu's Top Secret Diabolical Inventions?!" he squeaks, cowering at the cover. "It's fine, it's fine," he quickly tells himself, sitting down on the couch before his knees give out, "They're probably not even that evil-" he chimes. Loki opens up the book and flips through some of the pages. He stops on page thirty-seven, his eyes widening at the diagram, "Good God, that is dark!" he exclaims, throwing the book down on the sofa, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

"It's okay," he says calmly after regaining his composure, "It's probably just fiction, you know? She's probably not _really_ evil. It's probably just for show…even though she's never once mentioned it to anyone, and that's pretty much rule number one of the villain code," Loki states, feeling weaker by the moment. He flops back-first down on the sofa and covers his face with his hands. Loki releases a defeated groan.

…

Meanwhile, at the Curious residence, Isabella has just stepped into the kitchen wearing her plum purple pajamas. She sits down at the kitchen island next to Lazlo. "Hey Izzy," he greets, chewing the rest of his cereal as Pascal cleans the kitchen sink behind them, "I haven't seen you all morning. Where have you been?"

Isabella blushes, trying her best to hide her whereabouts, "Um, well-"

Vidcund enters the room, holding the latest issue of The Strangetown Monthly, which has the word 'Sexcapades' written across it. He stops at the base of the island, his facial expression friendly but firm. "Hey," he says, turning to his brothers, "are either of you selling us out to the press?" he wonders, eyeing Pascal and Lazlo suspiciously, "Not that I think you are, but I am wondering how they're getting some of their information."

Lazlo shakes his head, quickly waving off the accusation, "Nah, I don't like those magazines," he states, returning to his cereal.

Vidcund instantly narrows his eyes at Pascal. "What are you looking at me for? I only send them photos of you in your underwear," Pascal claims, "Besides, I would never sell out Izzy. That magazine is sexist enough as it is!"

"Well, okay, fine. I believe you," Vidcund states, slamming the magazine onto the counter. "But please stop sending them photos," he sighs, staring up at Pascal.

"Alright, fine, I'll stop sending them photos," Pascal caves reluctantly as he steps out from behind the island, "but only because I'm too busy trying to solve the world hunger crisis!"

Vidcund cocks his forehead, glancing down at his older brother's peculiar state, "Is that why your hand is stuck in the toaster again?" he wonders.

"No," Pascal huffs, attempting to cross his arms over his torso but accidentally hitting himself in the stomach with the toaster instead, "That was a result of me falling asleep on the counter," he pauses, "Now, you're a genius. Get this thing off of me."

Vidcund shrugs, "Okay, I'll try, but if I can't get this off of you, we're going to have to go to the E.R. again. And I really don't think they want to see us after what happened last time."

"Hey! Those crayons said nontoxic!" Pascal chimes, clearly offended by Vidcund's claim. "What else was I supposed to do?"

…

One hour later, after successfully avoiding another awkward trip to the E.R., Vidcund and Isabella are sitting alone in the living room of the Curious estate. They have pushed two of the blue plastic chairs together and are sitting in them side by side in front of the wall of televisions. The TVs are on, but they are too enthralled by and entangled in their make out session to notice. A few seconds later, Pascal strolls by and stops in front of them.

"Hey guys. Kissing I see," Pascal greets, casually rolling back on his heels, "It's okay. I'll wait," he says, glancing down at his watch.

Vidcund and Isabella reluctantly part, the former shooting a bizarre look in his brother's direction. Vidcund sighs as Isabella smooths out her hair next to him, "What is it?"

"Guess what?" Pascal beams, clearly too enthusiastic to properly read the situation, "I finally finished upgrading our television!" he steps back and gestures to the television mounted on the wall, presenting it like it is a prize on a game show, "Now all of the pixels turn exactly the same shade when it shows a picture of a cornfield. Check it out!"

Vidcund turns back towards Isabella and gently grabs her hand. "That's okay. We believe you-"

"Nonsense! You have to see it up close to really notice the difference!" Pascal exclaims, grabbing Vidcund by the arm and flinging him up towards the television. He presses Vidcund's face towards the screen, "See?"

"Pascal, I honestly can't tell the difference," Vidcund replies, squinting uncomfortably at the screen, "I'm still wearing my glasses, so everything looks green."

Pascal shakes his head and tisks as Vidcund and Isabella stare longingly at each other, "Now, whose problem is that, Vid?"

…

Crystal smiles as she arrives back at her residence later that afternoon, still surprised that the shopping trip went well beyond her and Chloe's expectations. She takes out her keys and walks through the doorway, immediately stopping in place moments before knocking into Loki, who is standing firmly in the center of the room. "What's this?" Loki wonders, holding up the bright purple book that he uncovered that morning.

Crystal puts her keys in her purse and drops it on the floor, turning away from Loki before she can meet his prying eyeline. "Oh, uh – it's nothing," she states, her stomach dropping when she saw the book.

"No, it's not," Loki replies, still holding up the book in disbelief, "It's a book of diabolical inventions," he claims, opening the cover and flipping through the pages, "And it's written by you," he adds, even more shocked as he says this statement. Loki shuts the book and holds it up to Crystal once again, one question blaring through his mind, "Are you evil?"

"Loki, come on," Crystal sighs, picking her purse off the floor, walking over to the kitchen, and carelessly tossing it onto the table, the former physicist watching her every move. She turns back to him, "Do I look evil?"

"No," Loki answers honestly, stopping in front of her, "That's why I'm so surprised by this. I feel like I just discovered Haley's Comet."

Crystal sighs as she rubs her aching forehead. She throws her hands up and walks out of the room, "Okay, fine. I'm evil," she confesses, clearly having enough of the interrogation, "Are you happy?"

"No," Loki cries, quickly turning away from Crystal before she can see him blush, "Oh man…" he mutters, feeling himself growing hotter by the second.

…

Later that night, Vidcund and Isabella are walking down the Road to Nowhere, the pair silent and frustrated after a day filled with interruptions and romantic disappointments, most courtesy of Pascal. Vidcund sighs as he gazes over at his girlfriend, who is staring down somberly at the sand.

"Hey," he states, "I'm sorry we keep getting interrupted. I'll make it up to you, I promise," Vidcund completes, holding his hand out.

"It's okay, Vid," Isabella responds, taking his hand and giving a small smile, "I understand that you're the mayor and that we live in a house with five other people…"

"But…?"

"…but I guess it would've been nice to have at least a few minutes alone with each other," Isabella confesses, a small blush blooming on her face.

The pair stops at a street sign, still holding hands. Vidcund gazes up at the all-too-familiar estate in front of them, a small smirk looming in the corner of his lip, "Come on, I have an idea," he states, pulling Isabella towards the Beaker castle.

"Vid!" Isabella chimes as he leads her to the main archways.

"Izzy, it's abandoned," Vidcund tells her, stopping short of the entrance to stare back at her, "No one will see."

Vidcund leads Isabella into the house. They meet in the main foyer and kiss a few times.

"Wow," Isabella awes, stopping to gaze at the high ceilings, "This place seems so much smaller now," she comments, her body filling up with excitement, "Come on, let's go upstairs." Isabella grabs Vidcund's arm and leads him up the staircase with her, giving a small laugh as she does so.

Vidcund stops and looks around, now noticing that Isabella has led them into the guest bedroom, shocked by her brio. "Man," Vidcund says, happiness lacing his tone, "you don't mess around."

Isabella nods gently and pulls Vidcund forward, leading him in for a kiss. Vidcund moans as Isabella pulls him towards the bed, accidentally kicking his coat pocket. His cell phone falls out and slides into the closet, the noise causing the two lovers to immediately turn around.

"It's okay, I'll get it later," Vidcund whispers, giving a small chuckle before returning to their tryst.

One passionate Woohoo session later, Vidcund and Isabella are lying down bare on the guest bed cuddling with one another, their clothes spread carelessly across the floor. "It's nice to have some time alone," Isabella sighs, lovingly embracing Vidcund as she rests her head delicately on his chest.

Vidcund breathlessly nods, his head still rushing, "Yeah."

All of a sudden, creaks echo through the residence, the pair instantly tensing up and latching onto each other when they hear footsteps coming up the staircase. "What's going on? I thought you said this place was abandoned!" Isabella frantically whispers.

"I thought it was!" Vidcund defends, whispering back at her, "Loki's at Crystal's and Circe was arrested!"

"Oh, that's right," Isabella begins, a realization abruptly washing over her as she narrows in on the sound of Gucci heels hitting the top stair, "I saw Circe at the pool last week."

"What?!" Vidcund shrieks, quickly covering his mouth with his hand before his reaction can reverberate through the premises. His eyes widen as he hears what appears to be Circe stepping outside the door. Vidcund quickly grabs Isabella and pulls her into the closet. He slides the door shut as quietly as possible and turns back to her, his heart racing a mile a minute. "Okay, this is bad," Vidcund cries in a hushed whisper, "This is really bad. But don't worry, all we have to do is just exit out the back."

"But what about our clothes?" Isabella wonders, her voice more squeaky than usual, "Won't she know that those are ours?"

Vidcund turns to the side, eyeing their clothes spread across the guest room floor, "Damn it! Why do we always wear the same clothes?" he whisper-exclaims, taking a deep breath before reassessing the problem, "It's alright. It's okay," Vidcund tells himself, hoping to find comfort in these words, "I'm a Knowledge sim; I can come up with a plan to get ourselves out of this," Vidcund brings his hand up to his chin, pondering this over before his face lights up, a Eureka! moment sparking in his brain, "That's it! My cell phone!" he chimes, scrounging the closet for it.

A mere ten seconds later, he has the device up to his ear, embracing what may very well be his last lifeline.

Across town, Pascal is sitting in the TV room holding Amelia. The pair is watching their favorite cartoon show, Camp Lazlo, when Pascal's cell phone rings on the desk behind them. Eyeing the name on the screen, Pascal answers the device, holds it up to his ear, and smiles. "Hey, Vid. Long time no see! You should really check out the new TV again," he rambles, "Amelia and I are enjoying it now-"

" _Yeah, that's great. I'll do that,_ " Vidcund mumbles, sounding more frantic by the moment, " _Hey, remember a few months ago when you guys made me hit on Circe so that we could escape Loki's wrath? Well, you still owe me one, and now I'm cashing in on the favor._ "

"I remember," Pascal nods, "What do you need?"

" _I need you to get Circe out of her house so Izzy and I don't get arrested for trespassing_ ," Vidcund hisses into the receiver, " _I don't care what you do, just get her out of here_."

Pascal snaps his fingers as Lazlo appears in the kitchen doorway, "Oh, right. I knew there was something we forgot to tell him."

" _Wait. You guys knew Circe was back?!"_ Vidcund cries, _"Why didn't anyone tell me? That would've been nice to know before we – uh, went out."_

"You guys are naked in the closet, aren't you?" Lazlo says, snatching the phone from Pascal.

Vidcund sighs, " _I'd prefer not to answer that question. Now please get Pascal to distract her, so we don't get murdered by the scariest woman in the city._ "

Lazlo scrunches his forehead, "What about Olive?" he wonders.

" _Hey, she's dead_ ," Vidcund reminds him, " _And I know what I said_."

"Don't worry, Vid!" Pascal shouts from his place in the TV room, "You can count on me! After all, I have the perfect plan!"

…

Fifteen minutes later, Circe approaches the front archway, troubled by the young physicist who is leaning up against the castle dressed in a formal, purple sparkle suit. "Hello Circe," Pascal greets, sporting a suspiciously-wide smile as he makes eye contact with her.

"Hello," Circe replies cautiously, unsure whether to be amused or creeped out by the Curious brother's appearance. She gives him a once-over, "May I help you…?"

Pascal throws his head back towards the sky, letting out an overly exuberant laugh, "Look, there's no doubting that you and I have a connection," he states, trying his best to sound flirty but sounding more like a constipated monkey, "An undeniable spark that shines brighter than the very world we're standing on!"

Circe tilts her forehead, "What? That doesn't even make any sense-"

"Perhaps," Pascal coos, pushing his body off the castle and shooting her his best smoldering look, "But you know what does make sense? You and I going on a date, cutie."

Circe glares at Pascal, her face unsympathetic and unmoving. "No," she says, turning back towards the house and heading towards the staircase.

Pascal's stomach sinks as she grabs the banister. "Wait!" he cries out, rushing over to her. Surprisingly, Circe stops what she is doing and looks at him. "Uh, um…" Pascal stutters, nervously playing with his hands a bit as he struggles to come up with some sort of distraction. Finally, he leans back seductively against the side of the staircase, "God, it's hot," he moans.

…

A few minutes later, Vidcund continues to freak out in the closet with Isabella, his blood pressure only rising since he heard his brother enter the residence. "This is bad. This is really bad," Vidcund whisper-panics, his body tensing up, "Oh God, this is a terrible situation!"

Isabella leans into him and comfortingly rubs Vidcund's arm. She has never seen him in such a frenzied state in her life. "Vidcund, relax," she states, doing her best to console him as they sit side by side in the cramped closet, "This isn't that catastrophic."

"Izzy," Vidcund replies, his face filled with fear, "I broke up with Circe while she was chained to a radiator. Then I took my new girlfriend to her house, had sex with said girlfriend in her bed, and trespassed on her property!"

"Okay, yeah. That actually does sound pretty bad," Isabella agrees after thinking the situation over, "But, in all fairness, Circe did try to kill you and she actually did kill me."

"Exactly!" Vidcund squeaks, "And if Circe already tried to do that once, what makes you think she won't do it again?!" The pair pause as the familiar vibration of Vidcund's cell phone chimes through the closet. Vidcund takes a deep breath. He picks up the device and stares down at its screen, "It's Pascal," he says before holding the cell phone up to his ear, "So, are you in yet?" he wonders.

" _Well, Circe is a very tricky woman. And I think she may have read too far into my bluff…"_ Pascal replies, his voice sounding awfully close to the couple.

Vidcund scrunches his forehead, "What makes you say that?"

" _Oh, just a feeling,_ " Pascal completes. A few feet away from the closet, Pascal is tied to the bed posts, where he was surprisingly able to make a phone call, despite the fact that all four of his major limbs are tied to the four corners of the bed frame. _"So yeah,"_ he uneasily continues, _"I'm going to need you to come save me."_

"I can't. I'm trapped in the closet!"

" _Well I'm tied to the bed posts, so who's in the greater danger here?!"_ Pascal barks.

Vidcund shakes his head, unable to wrap his mind around what his brother has just told him. "How did that even happen?" Vidcund begins, stopping himself short before the thought can rack his brain, "Oh for goodness sake!" he rolls his eyes, now knowing that he's going to have to come up with a more elaborate plan to save all three of them, "Alright, fine. I'll just call Lazlo," Vidcund sighs, scrolling through his cell phone for his little brother's name, "Probably should've called him first anyway…" he mutters.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Pascal spews, sarcasm lacing his voice, "Is me taking time out of my busy schedule and getting tied up by your crazy ex-girlfriend all while on a mission to stop you from publicly disgracing yourself not enough for you?!"

"You're right. I'm sorry, Pascal," Vidcund states genuinely. He takes a deep breath, trying to recollect his thoughts, "I'm just stressed out because we're still stuck in Circe's guest room closet."

" _Uh…Vid?"_ Pascal speaks up, eyeing the discarded clothes that are spread across the floor beneath him, _"that's not the guest bedroom; you guys are in the master."_

"WHAT?!" Vidcund sits up suddenly, accidentally nudging into a stack of Loki's overhanging clothes in the process. The clothes knock off the pole and land on top of him.

…

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" Circe voice fires throughout the estate, her outburst a mere half hour later waking the sims trapped on the second floor, "WHY THE HELL DO YOU CURIOUSES KEEP BOTHERING ME?!"

Vidcund and Isabella slowly sneak out of the closet, the pair dressed in the only clothes they could reach while hiding. The pair creeps over to the bed. Isabella stops at the edge of the bed frame, trying her best to untie Pascal while Vidcund scoops up their clothing.

"Forget it. Leave me," Pascal whispers to Isabella, shaking his head as she continues to untangle him, "Get out of here before she catches you."

"Too late," Lazlo speaks from the doorway, the young man in a choke hold courtesy of Circe. She lets go of Lazlo when she locks eyes with the guilty party. Lazlo sighs and rubs his neck, "God, she's strong." Lazlo tilts his forehead, puzzled as he stares at Vidcund and Isabella, who are now dressed in Loki's and Circe's everyday clothing. "Uh, were you guys roleplaying?"

"Vidcund!" Circe shrieks, her face turning redder by the moment, "I should've known it was you two. What the hell are you doing in _my_ house?!"

Vidcund steps back, nervously scratching his head as he tries his best to come up with a stellar response, his face sweating, "Uh…out of curiosity, if you were to come up with a reasonable explanation as to why we trespassed on your property and dressed up like you and your ex-husband…what would it be?"

Circe stands stationary, mouth agape before her eyes drift down to the pile of clothes that Vidcund is holding in his hands, immediately making the connection, "Oh my God, were you guys having sex in my house?!"

"Uh…" Vidcund begins, nervously exchanging glances with Isabella as he fidgets with his hands, "About that…"

Isabella steps forward, surprisingly calm despite the circumstance. "Yes," she answers firmly, "Yes, we were."

"Izzy!" Vidcund squeaks, his cheeks florid.

"I just think she deserves to know the truth," Isabella explains, silently praying that this whim-of-the-moment plan was the right decision, "…that I'm crazy about you."

Circe groans as she rolls her eyes up at the ceiling, "Oh Good Lord!" she screams, "Just get the hell out of my house before I call the cops on all of you! After all, I'm sure the press and the entirety of Strangetown would love to know what the mayor has been up to," she smirks, crossing her arms over her torso as she narrows in on Vidcund.

Isabella sighs and slouches her shoulders in defeat. "It's okay, Izzy," Vidcund tells her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder as they walk towards the bedroom exit with Lazlo, who has just successfully untied Pascal, "I'm sure Circe will do the right thing."

Vidcund stops in the doorway, allowing his three housemates to walk past him. He briefly scans the area before walking back over to Circe, lowering his voice to a whisper. "I'll give you a thousand simoleons to keep this between us," he proposes.

Circe smiles, simoleon signs flashing in her eyes, "Make it twenty-five hundred, and we have a deal," she bargains.

Vidcund sighs and reluctantly pulls out his check book from his coat pocket. "Fine," he caves, quickly writing out a check.

Circe smirks as she snatches it from him, "Pleasure doing business with you, _sweetheart_ ," she coos, shaking his hand, smiling even wider when Vidcund groans and exits down the hallway.

…

"Well, that was a lot less mortifying than I thought it would be," Vidcund admits upon rejoining Isabella and his two brothers at the front of the Beaker castle, the sky pitch black above them.

"I guess…" Isabella sighs as the couple trails Pascal and Lazlo towards the Road to Nowhere, "But now everyone will know what we did," she says, her stomach sinking at the thought.

Vidcund smiles, wraps his arm around Isabella, and pulls her in close. "No, they won't," he states, gazing up at the night sky, "I bribed her to keep quiet. Money is the only thing that appeals to Circe," Vidcund reveals, giving a shrug before addressing the peculiar look that is now spread across his girlfriend's face, "Hey, all politicians are corrupt…even me."


	13. Splitting Up

**Author's Note:** Today is the ten-year anniversary of when I first started this series, and the one-year anniversary of when I first started this story. I want to thank everyone who read, reviewed, faved, and/or followed any of the stories in the Strangetown Saga. I couldn't have gotten to this point if it weren't for all of your support! In honor of this milestone, here is a five-thousand-word chapter featuring almost all of the main characters. Thanks again, guys! :D

* * *

 **Still in Love With You**

 _Chapter Thirteen – Splitting Up_

Vidcund sighs as he anxiously paces the kitchen early Monday morning, holding his body as he goes over every possible headline and incriminating photo from his and Isabella's secret rendezvous at the Beaker residence that could grace the cover of The Strangetown Monthly in his mind. Behind him, Pascal is watching his brother pacing nervously from the counter, the physicist's face sprinkled with confusion. "I don't get it. What are you so worried about?" Pascal asks Vidcund, grabbing a pudding cup from his stash next to the refrigerator, "You bribed Circe to keep quiet."

"True, but that doesn't mean she will," Vidcund replies, stopping in place to stare back at him, "You think I don't know how that woman's brain works? Well, you're right – I don't," Vidcund cries, more frantic by the moment, "That's what makes her so scary!" he chimes, tensely tapping on the counter, "Besides, even if she somehow miraculously decides _not_ to sell us out to the press, her being back in our lives is catastrophic. You know how pushy Circe can be!"

"Vid, Vid, Vid," Pascal tisks, casually shaking his head at his brother's problems, "You have nothing to worry about. You broke up with her."

"Right," Vidcund replies, dubiously crossing his arms over his torso as he shoots Pascal a glare, "And how many times has she respected that? This is Circe we're talking about!"

Pascal leans back on his heels, bringing his hand up to his chin as he ponders this thought over. His eyes widen like saucers as the reality of Vidcund's words sink into his brain, "Well, you're dead," he declares, giving Vidcund a consoling pat on the shoulder.

Suddenly, Lazlo bursts through the doorway and races into the kitchen. He stops in front of Vidcund, holding the latest issue of The Strangetown Monthly in his palm, "It's here! It's here!" Lazlo says, quickly handing it to Vidcund so he can lean on his knees and take a breather.

Vidcund sighs as he takes the issue from Lazlo, purposely holding it front side down so he can properly prepare himself for the cover. Intrigued, Pascal walks a step closer to his brother and stares down at the magazine. Vidcund takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and flips the magazine over; too scared to glimpse at the cover. After a few seconds, Vidcund gives another sigh and turns in the direction of his brothers, "Is it bad?" he wonders.

"Well, it depends on your definition of bad," Lazlo replies from the stool next to him, talking over his brother's shoulder, "I mean, it definitely is disturbing."

Vidcund slowly opens his eyes, fearing the worst, but knowing he will have to face reality of the situation sooner or later. The mayor tilts his forehead, troubled by the headline and photo printed on the magazine's glossy surface. "General Buzz versus Pollination Tech #9: Who's Hotter?" Vidcund reads, airing a mental sigh of relief, "Huh. That's not what I expected," he awes, setting the magazine down on the counter, "Man, I can't believe she didn't sell us out to the press."

"Yeah," Pascal nods, quickly snatching the magazine up from the counter and nonchalantly flipping through it. Pascal looks up, catching the bizarre looks that his brothers are shooting his way, "What?" he squeaks defensively, pulling the magazine down a tad, "I want to know who's hotter!"

Vidcund shrugs and turns back to Lazlo, "I just can't believe she didn't leak the story. This is not like Circe at all," he notes, "She must be plotting some other kind of revenge."

"Come on, Vid, if she didn't take this perfect opportunity to embarrass you guys that just fell into her lap, I really don't think she's out to ruin your life this time," Pascal tells him, scanning through the article on page nine.

"Yeah, I'm surprisingly with Pascal on this one, Vid," Lazlo agrees, pouring Fruity O's cereal into his hand, "I think Circe has turned over a new leaf."

"And I think you're both insane," Vidcund replies, quickly going over to the kitchen cabinet and grabbing himself and Lazlo a bowl. He returns to his seat next to the microwave and hands one to his brother, "Circe hasn't changed at all. She's still out for revenge, and she's going to try to enact it sooner or later."

Pascal cracks a smile, giving a light laugh as he thinks back to the tumultuous predicament they found themselves in merely two days before. "Man, I just can't believe you and Izzy actually slept with each other in Circe's bed," he laughs, shaking his head as he digs in the nearby drawer for a spoon, "You know, you guys are pretty smart individually, but together you make terrible choices."

Vidcund narrows his eyes at his older brother, "Well, if I ever need help making terrible romantic choices, I'll be sure to ask the master," he quips with a sly smirk.

Pascal nods, surprisingly unoffended by this statement. "You do have a point there," he states, "I mean Circe gagged me and chained me to the bed that night, and it still didn't even make my list of the top ten worst dates I've been on!" he grins.

Tank smiles as he walks confidently into the kitchen a few minutes later, holding a photo of his latest accomplishment in his hands. He stops in front of the three Curious brothers, who are now busying eating their breakfasts on the island, minus Pascal who is downing his vanilla pudding cup above the kitchen sink.

"Well, we're taking the house," Tank announces, holding up the photo of the beautiful estate at 57 Road to Nowhere.

Lazlo looks up from his cereal and gazes up at the photo, "Congratulations, Tank. 'Looks good," he comments, flashing Tank a smile; Pascal and Vidcund nod in agreement.

"Thanks," Tank replies, staring down admiringly at the picture, "As much as we like living here, we can't wait to move to our new place next week."

…

Meanwhile, down the hall, Kea has just tiptoed into Vidcund's bedroom and is gently closing the door behind her. She sighs as she stares down at Isabella, who is fast asleep under the multi-colored striped comforter. Kea stops at the head of the bed and leans forward, gently nudging her best friend in the shoulder. "Izzy! Izzy!" Kea whispers. Isabella moans and turns on her side, facing the wall. "Izzy, wake up!" Kea pleads, shaking her vigorously, "I have to tell you something important."

Isabella groans and opens her eyes, Kea's frantic shaking jolting her awake. "Kea," Isabella yawns, sitting up against the bed frame, her head aching, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, it's just…" Kea begins, anxiously rubbing the back of her neck, "Tank and I are leaving. We signed the papers for the house this morning."

"Wow," Isabella states, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she attempts to process this information, "That's great. I'm really happy for you two," she says genuinely, "Of course, I'd be lying if I said I won't miss having you here."

Kea nods, tears forming in the corners of her eyes, "I know, but we knew we wouldn't be able to stay together forever," she adds, staring up at the window, "Unless, you know, you want to move in with us."

Isabella laughs, her friend's lighthearted suggestion causing her to crack a smile despite the solemn atmosphere, "I appreciate that, but I really like living here."

"After living in a giant X for most of your childhood, I can see why," Kea quips before moving forward and pulling Isabella into a hug, "Goodbye Izzy."

Isabella wraps her arms around Kea, these words hurting more than her best friend will ever know. "Goodbye," Isabella squeaks, wondering if these moments would ever get easier for her.

…

Fifteen minutes later, Isabella is sitting at kitchen island somberly playing with her cereal while Pascal dusts the counter next to the refrigerator. Isabella sighs as she sets her spoon down into the bowl, feeling emptier than Pascal's Simder inbox.

All of a sudden, Brent flies into the residence, beelining to the kitchen from the front door. "Hey, Brent," Pascal greets, setting down the duster when he sees him, "Nice to see you. Honestly, I didn't know you still existed."

"Yeah," Brent states with a nod as he takes one of the vacant seats next to his sister, "things have been crazy at home." Brent turns to Isabella, who is now staring into space as she sits beside him, "Izzy, I need to talk to you. It's about Mom and Dad."

Hearing this, Isabella instantly sits up, shaking herself out of her trans. "Oh no," Isabella says, terror filling her eyes, "Is everything alright?"

"Well, I don't think anything is physically wrong with them, but apparently they've been having problems."

Isabella cocks her forehead, her stomach sinking at this news. "What do you mean? What kind of problems?"

"Mom's been staying at our place for the last few nights," Brent reveals, nervously tracing patterns on the island with his finger. Brent sighs as he stares at the back wall, "She says she thinks she's done."

"With the marriage?" she wonders.

Brent nods, "Yeah."

"Wow," Isabella responds, her body shocked by this announcement, "I know Mom and Dad have had their issues, but I never thought they would actually split up," she awes, her mind now drifting to a dark place, "Oh my gosh. You don't think the dinner caused this, do you?"

"No," Pascal speaks up, quickly shooing away the thought as he stares down at the eXtreme siblings from the other side of the counter, "Don't think like that. Divorces are rarely ever the children's fault," he firmly tells them, walking over to the high chair and picking up Amelia. He bounces her in his arms.

"Well, either way I think I should cheer Mom up," Isabella states, turning to her brother as she pulls out her cell phone, "I haven't seen her since I cut Dad out of my life, so she'll probably be happy to hear from me," Isabella says, praying that her statement is true. She shoots her mother a text and sighs, "I hope."

…

Across town, Loki is sitting at the kitchen table, carefully eating the oatmeal that Crystal has prepared for him after spending the last few days avoiding her as much as possible. He sighs as he stares over at Crystal, who is too busy scrolling through her phone to notice. Loki sets his spoon on top of his bowl and clears his throat.

"So…you're evil, huh?" Loki states, awkwardness filling the room.

Crystal looks up from her phone and sighs, "Loki, we really don't need to talk about this."

"I'm sorry, but I think we do," Loki replies, his mind still reeling over this bombshell, "This is the most interesting thing I've heard from you in fifteen years, and it raises so many unanswered questions."

Crystal exhales once more, shuts off her screen, and leans back in her seat. She cocks her forehead and crosses her arms, "Like what?" she sasses.

"Like if you were evil, then why did you rise up against me?" Loki questions.

Crystal unfolds her arms and shrugs, "I don't know. I guess I didn't want you to outdo me and kill my friends."

"Ah," Loki nods, this answer seemingly enough for him, "Does Lazlo know that you're evil?"

"I really don't think he'd care. Doesn't seem like he really cares about anything lately," Crystal responds flatly, quickly picking up her empty plate and staring down at her wristwatch, "I should probably go. I promised Vidcund I would be there early today," she states, setting her plate in the sink before grabbing her white purse from the end table and turning back to him, "I'll see you later. It's early release today, so I'll be home for lunch."

"Oh, great," Loki squeaks, already panicking over the extra time they will have together.

Crystal waves goodbye and slams the door, leaving Loki once again alone in the residence. He plops his head on the table and groans.

…

Fifteen minutes later, at the Curious residence, Pascal and Lazlo are standing in the center of the TV room in the middle of a rather heated discussion over a controversial topic. "And I'm telling you, Pascal, that it doesn't bother me that Crystal and I don't have any chemistry!" Lazlo fires, crossing his arms in a huff as he glares daggers at his oldest brother, "I mean, sims go crazy when they have chemistry. With chemistry, you hardly get anything done!" he shouts, pausing when he notices Vidcund sneaking into the kitchen behind him, his hair and clothes slightly askew. Lazlo leans back in place and smirks, "Case in point: Vidcund," he states, gesturing at his brother. Pascal quickly whips his head around to see him.

"Hey, Vid," Pascal greets, watching as Vidcund turns and gives an awkward wave to both his brothers, "What are you doing home?"

"I – uh, forgot my pen," Vidcund sheepishly replies, meekly holding up a generic black pen from his pocket.

"Uh-huh," Pascal replies, crossing his arms dubiously over his torso, "And where was it?"

"Isabella's skirt pocket," Vidcund shamefully mutters.

Pascal walks over to him, a sly look spread across his face, "Yeah…wouldn't want to go to our next meeting without _that_ ," Pascal sarcastically states, rolling his eyes up at the ceiling, "Believe me, Vid. There's only one reason why you came back here in the middle of a workday, and its name isn't-" Pascal reaches over the counter, snatches the pen from his brother, and reads the label, "Bic-182 pen."

"See, Pascal? This is exactly what I was talking about!" Lazlo interjects, stepping over to the pair, "Sims with three-bolt chemistry can't stay away from each other. And that's why dating Crystal is my ideal situation," he argues, "We have absolutely zero chemistry with one another, so we can have our own separate lives."

Pascal sighs, reaches into the kitchen cabinet, and pulls out a bag of pretzels. "But don't you ever wonder what it would be like if you two were attracted to each other?" he questions, tearing open the bag and popping a few of the salty snacks into his mouth.

"No," Lazlo says firmly, "and I don't want to. And you better not use me as a guinea pig in an experiment to test this theory."

"Hmm…" Pascal begins, rubbing his chin ponderously, "I hadn't even thought of that, but…okay."

"Good," Lazlo sighs, stopping in place as his brother's words register in his mind. Behind him, it is clear that Vidcund already knows where this is going. Lazlo widens his eyes and turns to Pascal, "Wait, okay as in you won't do the experiment, or okay as in you're definitely going to do it?"

"Okay as in…okay," Pascal squeaks, making a beeline for the door, "I have go to the store now for some _unrelated_ items," Pascal chimes, spookily wiggling his fingers in front of his brothers before racing out the back door.

Vidcund steps forward and taps Lazlo consoling on the shoulder as they watch Pascal race down the hill towards the grocery store, "Yeah…I wouldn't eat or drink anything he gives you for a while," he warns.

…

Twenty minutes after the early release at city hall, Vidcund is standing in the kitchen watching as Pascal unpacks the groceries he purchased earlier that morning. "I don't get it, Pascal," Vidcund says, eyeing the empty pitcher that his brother has just set on the counter, "Why are you doing this exactly? I thought you liked Crystal!"

"I do," Pascal confirms, reaching into one of the brown paper bags and pulling out a bag of sugar, "but Lazlo needs to get laid. And, trust me, without chemistry, that is _not_ going to happen."

"Uh-huh," Vidcund states dubiously, folding his arms over his chest, "But don't you think it would better if you let Lazlo do what he wants and focus on your own love life?" he questions.

"Vidcund," Pascal begins, setting down the measuring cup and flashing him a stern glare, "getting Lazlo laid is doable. Getting myself laid is borderline impossible. Unless…" Pascal chimes, staring up at the ceiling as he scratches his chin in a ponder. Pascal sighs and shakes his head, quickly waving away the thought, "Nah, I already shaved today," he mutters, instigating a bizarre look from Vidcund as Isabella steps into the room carrying her cell phone.

She sits down at the kitchen island and turns to the pair of brothers, "Well, I wasn't able to get ahold of my mom, but I left a message for her," Isabella tells them, "So hopefully she gets back to me before things get too out of hand." Isabella sits up slightly as the phone vibrates in her palm. She stares down at the screen and smiles, "Oh, it's Kea," she announces, "She wants me to check out the house. You wanna come with me?" she wonders, staring up at her boyfriend.

"Please!" Pascal chimes, interrupting before Vidcund can give a response, "He'd go with you even if you were dumpster diving."

Vidcund turns and narrows his eyes at his brother, "Thanks Pascal."

Pascal nods, flashing a sassy smirk, "No problem," he states before resuming his recipe. Pascal turns to the couple and waves them away, "You two go. I really want to finish this lemonade."

"Well…okay," Isabella replies, shooting her friend a strange look as she grabs Vidcund by the hand and leads him towards the front door, "See you later, weirdo."

"Hey! I gladly embrace that title!" Pascal shouts after her, rapturously stirring his lemonade.

…

Twenty-five minutes later, Pascal is sitting in the TV room reading the latest issue of The Strangetown Monthly when his youngest brother walks into the kitchen. Seeing this, Pascal immediately springs out of his seat, grabs the pitcher of questionable Kool-Aid on the desk next to him, and races over to his brother. "Hey Lazlo," Pascal greets, doing his best to casually stroll over to him, "Want some refreshing, non-tainted fruit punch?" he offers, stopping Lazlo before he can open the refrigerator.

Lazlo glares down at him. "Nice try," he grumbles, reaching into the fridge and pouring himself a glassful of lemonade, "But I'm not drinking anything that you're offering. I'm not stupid enough to fall for your tricks," he reminds him, downing the entire glass of lemonade in three gulps.

"Well, okay then," Pascal says, setting the pitcher of Kool-Aid on the counter as he slowly turns his back to him with a shrug, "I guess you're too smart for me," he sighs, slumping his shoulders as he walks out the back door. Pascal slams the door shut behind him, patting himself on the back for his grandiose performance. He rubs his palms and laughs evilly at the sky, watching as Lazlo pours himself another glass of the experimental lemonade. "That's right, Lazlo. Feel the love!" he coos, quickly pausing at this statement, "Geez, that sounds creepy! Thank Wright no one was here to hear that," he mutters before reaching into his pocket to enact part two of his plan. Pascal pulls out his cell phone and presses number seven on his speed dial. He holds his cell phone up to his ear as the sim picks up on the other line, "Crystal, I need you to get over here," he pauses slightly, his face shifting to that of sheer panic, "What do you mean you can't?! What are you doing that's so important?"

Across town, Crystal sighs as she kneels in the center of her living room, "Sorry Pascal, believe me, I wish I could, but...something much more pressing came up," Crystal whispers, gazing down at Loki who she is holding tightly in her arms. The former Slavestown ruler is facing away from her, crouched on the floor in distress. "I uh…gotta go," she mumbles, hanging up the call before Pascal can ask any more questions.

Back behind the Curious residence, Pascal sighs as he hangs up his cell phone. "Huh, I wonder what that was about."

…

One hour earlier, Crystal beams as she steps out of city hall, the desert air warm and crisp around her. Crystal smiles as she walks down the Road to Nowhere, surprisingly looking forward to spending a quiet lunch at home with her housemate. "Hey, Crystal! Wait up!" a familiar voice chimes out behind her, causing the young woman to stop in her tracks. Crystal turns on her heel, catching eyes with her coworker and fellow townie activist, Charles Lawson, who has run after her. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" he wonders, "I thought maybe we could get lunch together."

"You know, normally I would, Charlie," Crystal says, trying to come up with a valid reason to back out of the offer, "but I promised Loki I would eat with him today."

Charlie cocks his forehead, unsure where she is going with this, "So?" he mutters.

"So I should probably keep that promise," Crystal elaborates, continuing along the Road to Nowhere. To her displeasure, Charlie starts following her. She stops, turns back to him, and sighs, "Uh, what are you doing?"

"Well, I don't want you to have to go there by yourself," Charlie states, unaware that what he sees as a heroic action is severely unwanted by his coworker.

Crystal rolls her eyes as she crosses the street, stopping square on her front lawn, "It's my house. I'm fine."

Charlie huffs as he runs after her. "No, you're not," he claims, oblivious to the fact that Loki has appeared in the open doorway. Charlie grabs Crystal by the bicep, the gesture causing Crystal to immediately jerk away from him.

"Don't touch me!" Crystal cries, attempting to wiggle away from his grasp, but Charlie won't let go.

Charlie's face softens, " _Crystal-_ " he coos.

"Hey!" Loki calls out from the doorway, "She's not into you, dingus, so why don't you just leave her alone?!"

Charlie looks up, his expression filling with rage when he locks eyes with the former Slavestown ruler. "Oh, what do you know about women? The only woman you've ever been with ditched you to bang your rival!" he counters. Loki leans back in the doorway, trying to mask the pain that he is feeling at this moment, "She hated you so much that she got herself impregnated by someone else!"

"Okay. Wow," Loki states, unable to look at Charlie, "That was low."

"He's right," Crystal speaks up, pushing Charlie away from her, "You need to leave _now_ ," she growls, quickly heading up the front porch staircase.

Charlie turns to Loki, crossing his arms smugly. "She right, Loki. Get out of here!" he commands, throwing his thumb over his shoulder.

"Yeah…no, Charlie," Crystal responds, turning back towards the rich snob, wondering how someone could be so stupidly clueless, "I was actually talking to you. Loki can't leave the house without me, and you were being really rude."

"Oh, yeah?" Charlie cries out, his face turning crimson at this comment, "Who cares? He's a killer! He doesn't matter!" he yells, walking up the staircase and getting in Crystal's face, "I could kick him down the stairs if I want to!"

Crystal steps forward and stands in front of Loki, her stance quiet but powerful. She crosses her arms firmly in front of her body and stares Charlie straight in the eyes. "Not in my house, you can't. Now get off my property."

"Unbelievable!" Charlie cries, throwing his hands up, fuming, "I can't believe you! You're such a traitor! He starts living with you, and suddenly you become the biggest bitch in town-"

"OUT!" Crystal screams, pointing him at the road, never feeling more enraged in her life.

Charlie sighs, grumbling to himself as he heads off the property, knowing full well that he has lost.

Crystal exhales as she steps into her house and gently closes the door. She turns back towards the living room, now noticing her housemate in anguish kneeling on the floor, covering his face with his hands. Seeing this, Crystal's heart sinks into her stomach. She walks over and crouches down next to him, her face filled with concern.

"He called you a bitch," Loki mutters.

"I know," Crystal replies, wrapping her arm around him, "It's okay. He's not a nice person," she sighs, pulling Loki into her arms, holding him close to her.

The pair sits in silence for a while, holding each other in a warm embrace. Suddenly, Loki moves his head up slightly, his eyes still glued to the carpet. "Do you think I'm incompetent?"

Crystal leans back slightly. Of all the things he could have asked, she never expected this. "What?" she states modestly, giving a small blush.

"Would you have kids with me?" Loki asks. Looking down at him, Crystal can tell that this is one of his biggest insecurities, "You know, hypothetically…if you loved me?"

"Uh…" Crystal begins, trying to find the right words to say in response to this, "Well, I wouldn't rule it out," she answers honestly, "Do you want kids?"

Loki nods, "Yes. Very much so."

"Huh," Crystal replies, still hanging onto him as she mulls over this revelation, "Cause quite honestly, to me, you don't seem like the kind of guy who would want them," she states.

"Well, I did with Circe," Loki opens up to her, "and obviously, the feeling wasn't mutual."

"I'm sorry," Crystal squeaks, "I just never realized that this was such a big insecurity for you," she says, their talk last month during that one sleepless night holding a lot more meaning now than it did back when it happened.

Loki nods, tears forming in his eyes as he lifts his head up towards the wall. "It was so big I started an entire war because of it," he reveals, staring straight ahead as he unveils his greatest and most vulnerable confession, "It just hurt so bad."

A few feet away from them, Charlie glares at Loki through the open window, where he resided through the pair's whole conversation. Charlie shoots daggers at Loki as Crystal lovingly embraces him once more, the tinge of revenge in his eyes.

…

Two hours later, Lazlo is lounging in his classic Panda chair in his bedroom at the Curious residence, hard at work counting the toenails on his left foot. The doorbell rings, chiming throughout the house. Lazlo groans and flops his foot back down on the ground. "PASCAL!" he calls out, his voice echoing through the hallway, "Pascal, get the door!"

Lazlo perks up slightly, the house dead silent around him. Finally accepting the fact that he'll have to put an ounce of effort into something for once due to his brother's absence, Lazlo sighs and swings open the door, not bothering to even turn to face the sim on the other side.

"Hi," Lenda eXtreme, Isabella's mother, greets, her smile as bright as the orange dress she is wearing, "I'm sorry to bother you, but my daughter told me to meet her here at three," she says, briefly staring at her cell phone, "Do you know where I can find her?"

"Yeah, she went out with Vid, she'll be back in a-" Lazlo turns towards her, struck with silence as he stares deeply into her eyes. He steps backwards, imaginary hearts fluttering around Lenda as he feels himself consumed by roaring infatuation. Lazlo gives a weak moan and passes out on the tile.

Lenda stares down at the passed-out scientist, deeply troubled by this entire display. "So…can I come in or not?" she wonders.

…

Later that night, Crystal is sitting on the sofa next to Loki, waiting patiently as he finishes the last page of her book. "So, what do you think?" she asks after he gently closes _Crystal Vu's Top Secret Diabolical Inventions_ and stares up at her. For the second time in his life, he doesn't know what to say to her, "Is it evil or what?"

Loki nods, still in shock over the ending, "Yeah, it's evil alright."

Crystal smiles, grabs the book, and holds it proudly up to her chest. "You know Loki," she says, her smile fading when she sees the sadness reappear on his face, "aside from the whole Charlie unpleasantness, I really liked hanging out with you today," Crystal states genuinely, hugging the book in her arms, "It just seems like you've been avoiding me a lot lately and…I missed you."

Loki looks up from the sofa, these words meaning more to him than she will ever know. Loki watches as Crystal exits the room, leaving him alone in silence. Loki stares down intently at the carpet, a million thoughts racing through his mind. He feels bad that he distanced himself so much from her that Crystal felt the need to say this to him, but he doesn't know what he can do to make things right without the whole world knowing his feelings for her, everything blowing up in his face, and him getting hurt again. Loki sighs as he mulls over what may very well be the toughest decision of his life.


	14. Valentine's Day (Redux)

**Still in Love With You**

 _Chapter Fourteen – Valentine's Day (Redux)_

Pascal is standing in the center of the greenhouse early Tuesday morning scrolling through his cell phone, his Twitter feed filled with posts about the current holiday, which he refers to as Singles Awareness Day. Pascal sighs as he shoves his cell phone back into his pocket, his eyes widening when he sees Vidcund enter into the residence. Pascal lunges forward and immediately pulls Vidcund into the greenhouse with him. "Whoa! What the hell-?"

"Sorry," Pascal quickly apologizes, "Lazlo's in the kitchen. You didn't run into him yet, did you?"

"No," Vidcund replies, still recovering from the abrupt movements, "Why?"

"Well, as you know, I gave Lazlo the lemonade yesterday afternoon," Pascal begins, nervously playing with his hands, "So, upon drinking it, Lazlo will fall in love with the first non-related sim he sees…which was _supposed_ to be Crystal, but she couldn't make it…" Pascal continues, trailing off a bit as he lightly taps his chin, "Yeah, in retrospect I probably should've checked with her first," he adds, before quickly shaking away the thought, "Anyway, because she's not here, Lazlo will either fall in love with the first sim he comes across, or he already fell in love with someone else while we were out of the house last night," Pascal informs him.

Suddenly, Vidcund and Pascal perk up slightly, hearing someone walk into the hallway, their heels clacking against the tile as they head towards the kitchen. "Oh God!" Vidcund cries, a horrifying realization hitting him square in the chest. He races into the kitchen; Pascal following close behind.

"Izzy, NO!" Vidcund cries, lunging forward and tackling his girlfriend to the floor before she can approach Lazlo. Vidcund moans as he holds his side, turning to Isabella, who is lying down next to him, puzzled by this whole charade.

"Is this for Valentine's Day?" she wonders.

Vidcund groans as he flops down on his back, "God, I am getting too old for this," he mutters, the ruckus causing Lazlo to sit up from his seat at the kitchen island.

Lazlo stares down wondrously at the pair, "Hey, guys!" he cheerfully greets.

"Uh…hey," Vidcund replies, quickly turning on his stomach and carefully examining his youngest brother's clueless face. "Damn it!" Vidcund cries, pounding his fist on the kitchen tile as Pascal joins them in the room, "He's already seen someone, and we've got to figure out who!"

"What are you guys talking about?" Isabella wonders, brushing herself off as she stands up from the floor. Next to her, Lazlo is just as confused.

"Lazlo drank a love potion last night which makes him fall in love with the first person he sees," Vidcund explains, standing up in place, "And based on the clueless look in his eyes, it's clear that he already saw someone."

"Wait," Isabella says, still as puzzled as ever, "Where did the love potion come from?" Isabella turns to Vidcund, before the pair simultaneously shifts their knowing glares to Pascal.

Pascal throws his hands up, his stance firm and defensive, "Oh sure, blame the guy who always uses Lazlo as a human guinea pig. Real classy, everybody!" he exclaims, his arms crossed.

"Lazlo, quick! Who did you see after you drank the lemonade?" Vidcund questions, grabbing his brother by the shoulders.

"-I-I don't know," Lazlo responds, racking his brain for the answer, "For some reason, yesterday is just a big blur. Oh shoot!" Lazlo chimes, snapping his fingers as he stares up at the ceiling, "I was supposed to order Crystal some flowers for Valentine's Day," Lazlo remembers, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone, "I better do that now."

Pascal cocks his forehead, baffled by his brother's frantic state, "So, are you guys together or not together?" Pascal wonders, "Cause, honestly, it seems like it changes every five seconds for you."

"We're together," Lazlo answers, pressing the submit button on his cell phone screen, "…I think," he adds, placing his phone back into his pocket, "I don't know. It depends on how much I'm feeling it," Lazlo elaborates.

Pascal turns to Vidcund, flashing him a troubled look before turning back to his youngest brother, "Look Lazlo, I know I'm not the best at relationships," Pascal begins, his face laced with concern, "but if I were you, I'd be careful about playing the flaky game. Because as soon as a more stable option catches Crystal's eye, she's probably gone."

"Yeah…" Vidcund replies, rubbing his aching left temple, "Don't you think we have more important things to worry about right now? Like figuring out who Lazlo is madly in love with thanks to you?"

"Oh, right," Pascal chimes, the thought completely slipping his mind, "Well, I guess the only option is for you two," Pascal pauses and briefly gestures to Vidcund and Isabella, "to take Lazlo around town and observe his reaction to everyone he comes across," Pascal elaborates pulling out a small notepad from his pocket as he waves the trio towards the back door, "Meanwhile, I'll be back here working on the antidote."

Vidcund groans and rolls his eyes with a sigh as he folds his arms over his torso, "Perfect," he mutters, glaring daggers at his oldest brother as Isabella stands quietly nearby, "It's not like we wanted to spend the day alone or anything-"

"Great! Have fun you two!" Pascal beams, slamming the door in their faces.

Vidcund lets out an exasperated sigh as he hears Pascal lock the back door behind them, "I hate him so much," he grumbles.

…

Across the Road to Nowhere, Crystal is cleaning out the refrigerator door, arranging the condiments in alphabetical order for the third time that week. Nearby, Loki is sitting on the sofa, anxiously fidgeting with his hands as he shifts his longing gaze from Crystal to the wall clock, unable to focus on the crossword puzzle resting on his lap. Loki jumps up in his seat a bit as the doorbell rings throughout the residence, causing Crystal to immediately pull back from the refrigerator door. "Uh, I'll get it," Crystal states, slamming the appliance door shut.

She smiles as she walks into the foyer and pulls open the main door, instantly greeted by a man holding a bouquet of beautiful roses in front of her. "Miss Vu?" the delivery man says, the bright white and yellow daisy on his vibrant green apron shining in the Sun.

"Yes, that's me," Crystal chimes, her face lighting up at the flowers.

"These are for you," the delivery man announces, holding the vase of flowers in one hand and a small, silver clipboard in the other.

"Really? Wow! Thanks!" Crystal replies, quickly detaching the pen from the clipboard and scribbling down her signature on the sheet of paper. The pair make the exchange, the young woman beaming as she caresses the vase of flowers, "Have a great day!" she wishes, giving the delivery man a small wave before closing the door.

Crystal smiles as she turns around. She walks over to Loki and excitedly holds the flowers up to him. "Isn't this amazing?" she beams, "I can't remember the last time someone's sent me flowers."

"Yeah…" Loki says, gazing at the wall in disinterest, "Any clue who they're from?"

Crystal steps back slightly, surprised the thought hasn't crossed her mind until this moment, "No, I actually didn't read the card," Crystal replies, gazing down at the vase and untying the card. She squints as she reads it over, "My dearest, Crystal, my feelings for you are as real as Atkinson's Law of Attraction."

Loki snorts, giving a small nose laugh from the sofa, "Man, that card screams Lazlo!" he blares as Crystal curiously turns the card over.

"Maybe the front does, but the back doesn't," Crystal replies, reading over the surprisingly tender and amorously heartfelt poem, "Lazlo's never referred to me as 'the light in the darkest caverns of his soul'," she reveals, deeply puzzled by this display.

Loki rolls his eyes at the ceiling, "So, you've got yourself a secret admirer. Are you really that surprised? I can think of at least five people who want to get with you," he mutters, grabbing the crossword book from his lap and flatly opening it.

Crystal steps forward, about to open her mouth in response when the doorbell rings for the second time that morning. Crystal delicately sets the roses on a nearby end table before swinging open the doorway. "Oh, hey guys. What's up?" she chimes, locking eyes with the frantic trio.

"No time to explain; we just need Lazlo to see you and Loki!" Vidcund cries, moving his youngest brother to the center of the doorway. Vidcund sighs as Lazlo's facial expression remains unchanged and throws his hands up in frustration, "Of course! Of course it's not you! Because that would be too easy!" he declares, letting out an elongated groan before turning back to the baffled townie, "Hey, can we see Loki?"

Crystal tilts her forehead, clearly troubled by the whole situation, "Why?" she wonders.

"Cause we got to make sure Lazlo's not in love with him," Vidcund replies, running his fingers through his hair as Crystal steps away from the door.

"Uh…alright," Crystal states, taking a step back to wave her housemate over. Loki stops in front of the trio and stares at them cautiously.

"Great!" Vidcund sarcastically chimes after his brother continues to give no reaction to any sim they've come across, "We have to go now."

"Wait!" Crystal chimes, watching as the trio flies down the staircase and bolts across her front lawn, her right arm extended out to them, "I still have to ask you about the flowers!" she cries as the trio disappears down the road.

Crystal sighs as she steps back into her residence, her head already spinning thanks to her mystery admirer. "Something tells me this is going to be a long day," she mutters, her hands perched firmly on her hips as she stares out at the horizon.

…

"Well, we've been running around Strangetown all morning, and we still have no idea who Lazlo fell in love with!" Vidcund claims, sitting at the kitchen island with Lazlo and Isabella, his abrasive tone directed towards Pascal, who is busy digging into his third lunchtime pudding cup.

Pascal smiles, still wearing his lab smock, and shrugs at his middle brother. "You're acting like this is my fault."

"This _is_ your fault," Vidcund reminds him, getting more animated with his hand gestures, "You're the one who wanted to mess with his chemistry!" he blares, Lazlo immediately perking up at this news.

"WHAT?!" Lazlo outbursts, before shooting Pascal testy glare.

"Because I was trying to get you laid," Pascal explains, narrowing his eyes at his youngest brother and throwing his hand out, "You're welcome, Lazlo!"

"Hey! I don't need help getting laid," Lazlo retorts, his face turning red with fury at this comment, "I'm not Vidcund!" Vidcund and Isabella turn and glare at Lazlo, each offended for two totally different reasons. Lazlo looks to Vidcund and sweatdrops as someone swings open the front door, "Oh, come on. You know I'm just kidding around!" he defends, his phone chiming in his pocket. Lazlo pulls out his cell phone and stares down at the screen, "Damn. Looks like my order won't get to Crystal until tomorrow-"

"What are you talking about, Lazlo? I just got your flowers this morning!" Crystal beams, entering in from the hallway and holding the vase of roses in her arms. She smiles as she sets them carefully on the kitchen island in front of the trio, all of them looking equally puzzled. Pascal reaches forward and unties the card. He slips it unnoticed into his pocket.

Lazlo sits up in his seat and gazes down at the bouquet, the puzzled expression still glued to his face. "I didn't send you these flowers, Crystal," Lazlo reiterates, "I mean – I tried, but I couldn't get them delivered today."

"But I don't understand," Crystal begins, her face falling at this confession, "if you didn't send these to me, then who did?" she wonders. Vidcund nudges Isabella in the side and gestures her out of the room. The pair exits into the hallway.

Lazlo looks up from the bouquet and shrugs, his face in a ponder, "I don't know," he answers, "But doesn't that fancy pants guy have a thing for you?"

"Charlie!" Crystal chimes with a snap, mentally slapping herself for not thinking of him earlier, "Of course. He must've sent them!" she declares, giving a sigh of relief at this simple answer, "Thanks Lazlo," she states before picking up the vase of flowers and exiting off the premises.

"Yeah, no problem," Lazlo replies, giving a small wave before stepping into the hallway for a much-needed bathroom break.

Pascal stands in silence, briefly scanning the area as he reaches into his pocket. Pascal wipes his hands off on his lab smock and pulls out the card from Crystal's flowers. Pascal looks around the room once more before examining the piece of cardboard more thoroughly. He opens the card and reads the message. Pascal stops halfway through the second line, a slight chill running down his spine. Something about the style seems oddly familiar.

The physicist thinks for a moment, racking his brain for the answer somewhere in the Curious timeline. He doesn't know why, but for some reason he finds himself focusing on Vidcund and Circe's breakup and all the complaints Vidcund made about Loki. Pascal quickly folds the card up and slides it back into his pocket, the connection shining as clear as day. "Well, shit!" he curses.

…

Five minutes later, Crystal is standing on the Charles Lawson's front porch, still hanging tightly onto the bouquet of roses, hoping to finally put an end to her all-day search. Charlie is standing in the doorway, dressed in his classic wine-colored robe and solid black dress pants as he gazes out at her.

"Look Crystal, as much as I would _love_ to take credit for this, I didn't send you those," Charlie admits, staring out at his longtime crush before shifting his gaze to his freshly-polished fingernails, "It must've been someone else."

"Really?" Crystal squeaks, unable to believe what she is hearing, "No, it _has_ to be you. Who else would send this to me?"

"I don't know," Charlie replies, clearly having enough of this conversation, "But whoever it is, he or she is now my top competition," he claims before slamming the door in Crystal's face.

…

Crystal sighs as she steps into the doorway of her residence, fatigued from a long afternoon filled with disappointing leads that went nowhere. She gently sets the roses on the kitchen table causing Loki to look up from his book on the sofa. Loki watches as Crystal trudges into her bedroom and throws herself face-first on the bed. Loki steps into the bedroom doorway and raises an eyebrow at his now-moaning housemate.

Sensing his presence, Crystal quickly turns on her back and sits up against her bedframe, "Well, I asked practically everyone in the city and no one knows who sent me those roses," she claims, gesturing out at them with her hand.

Loki scrunches his forehead, holding his hand up to his nose as he briefly stares out at the gift. "Does it matter?" he asks, locking eyes with Crystal as he lets out a small sniff, "You have a boyfriend."

"Yes, it does matter! You should've seen the card, Loki. It was the sweetest thing I've ever read," Crystal confesses, hugging her knees to her chest, "For all I know, that guy could be the perfect guy for me, and I don't even know who he is!"

Loki sighs and rolls his eyes up at the ceiling. "Now you're just sounding insane," he huffs, crossing his arms over his torso

"Maybe," Crystal concedes, "But I'd still like to know who went through all this trouble…and why," she states, gazing out at the roses.

Loki turns away from his housemate and holds his body, this conversation making him very uncomfortable. "Look Crystal, I'm not the greatest at anything pertaining to emotion," Loki admits, cringing at the topic once he turns back to her, "but it's obvious why this person did this. I mean, they clearly have a thing for you," Loki says as he holds his dripping nose, "Oh geez!" Loki cries, immediately erupting into a sneezefest. Crystal watches wondrously as Loki grabs a few tissues from a nearby tissue box and blows into them. He chucks them into her bedroom trashcan. He sniffs, "Anyway, this person is probably just some pathetic lowlife who's had his or her eyes on you for a while," Loki speculates, sneezing once more, "And whether you find out who this weirdo is or not, you deserve someone who's crazy about you."

"Aww!" Crystal squeaks, bringing her hand up to her chest at this surprisingly tender comment, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Loki replies, blowing his nose again and tossing his crumpled-up tissue, "Geez! Can you please move those flowers away from me? I'm sneezing up a storm here!"

"Alright," Crystal replies, walking back into the kitchen and grabbing the vase of roses, "I should probably get going anyway. I still have to ask Chloe if she sent me these as a prank," Crystal says, giving a small wave before exiting out the front door. She passes by Pascal, who is walking up the front staircase, embarking on a mission of his own, "Oh. Hey, Pascal!" Crystal greets, nodding in acknowledgement, "Are you here to see me?"

"No, Loki," Pascal responds, holding something in his pocket, "I'll only be here for a minute," he claims, gesturing his free hand's thumb over his shoulder.

Pascal watches as Crystal smiles, seemingly satisfied with this answer. She travels down the Road to Nowhere and disappears out of sight. He turns back to the front door and sighs, bracing himself as he knocks on the wooden door.

Thirty seconds later, Pascal hears the door unlock and is face to face with a very surprised Loki.

"Hey," Pascal plainly greets before asking a filler question, "is Crystal here?"

"No, um, you just missed her," Loki replies, clearly on edge by his rival's presence, "She'll probably be home in a few hours. I can tell her that you came by if you want-"

"No, it's fine," Pascal states curtly, "I'm actually here to see you. Can I come in?"

"Uh, sure," Loki states, stepping back from the doorway to allow Pascal entry into the house. Loki slowly closes the door behind him, unsure if he should be intrigued or terrified by his rival's presence, "So, why are you here? Are you going to beat me up?" Loki wonders, only half-joking.

Pascal laughs, the physicist not having a hateful bone in his body. "No, I'm good. Thanks," Pascal articulates, pulling the card out of his pocket, "I'm actually here because I-" Pascal stops and turns towards the wall, releasing a heavy sigh before facing the former Slavestown ruler, "I know you wrote this," Pascal reveals, holding the card up to Loki.

"What are you talking about?" Loki squeaks, blushing deeply at this comment. Of all the things Pascal could've said to him, he had never expected this. Loki steps forward and looks sheepishly down at the card, "Where did you get that?"

"Crystal left it in our house," Pascal replies, narrowing his eyes at him, "I can't believe that you would sink this low!" Pascal shouts, throwing the card down on the carpet. Loki immediately picks it up from the floor, "I mean, writing this fake dribble to jeopardize her relationship with my brother just for kicks?!" he screams, growing more agitated by the moment, "How do you live with yourself, Loki?!" he challenges, "This is exactly the kind of nonsense you used to split Vidcund and Circe up! You'd think after fifteen years, you'd come up with some better lines!"

Loki plops down on the sofa, the wind completely knocked out of him as, for once, he finds himself at a loss for words. "I, uh…" Loki begins, nervously scratching the back of his head.

"You know, Crystal sacrificed so much for you!" Pascal cries, digging deeper into him, "The least you can do is not be a jerk! You should be grateful, not faking feelings to screw her over-"

Pascal pauses and turns towards the wall to take a breather. After a few moments, he turns around, confused as to why Loki isn't retorting his comments. Pascal takes a step towards Loki, who is sitting down on the sofa, staring down at the cushion in silence as he anxiously plays with the fabric.

"Oh my God, you're not messing with her," Pascal states, the sincere expression on Loki's face shocking him to his core, "You like her. You like Crystal!"

"What?! No, I don't!" Loki cries, his stance filled with denial, "You of all people should know that I don't like her kind. I killed hundreds of people for that reason alone!" Loki reminds Pascal, standing up from the sofa, "Liking her would go against everything I stand for. It makes no logical sense, it's a blacked-out option," he chimes, feeling weaker by the moment.

Pascal laughs, a smug smile spread across his face as he crosses his arms at his rival, "How many times have I heard that one before?" he beams, finding this whole situation surprisingly gratifying, "This whole thing must drive you nuts. I mean, you like a girl who is a part of a social class that you despise, who rose against you to form a resistance to take you down, and who was partly responsible for your capture. And on top of all that, she's also dating a scientist from your rival clan?" he elaborates, shaking his head at this monstrosity, "Man, I definitely don't want to be you right now."

"Shut-up!" Loki commands, throwing his hand out in front of him, "I don't need you to be my psychologist. And I certainly don't need you throwing shade in my direction!"

"Okay, just for the record, you are not cool enough to use the phrase 'throwing shade'," Pascal mentions, taking a step towards him, "And I'm not making fun of you, I'm just trying to get where you're coming from-"

"Well, don't," Loki snarls, crossing his arms tighter as he glares at his rival, "Mind your own business! This is between Crystal and me," he claims, gripping the card harder before moving his free hand in front of his torso to silence him, "No one else."

"Alright. Fair enough," Pascal nods, completely unfazed by Loki's outburst, "But word of advice, if you want Crystal to like you, lay off the trendy, cool kid phrases."

Loki rubs his aching forehead and sighs, "Get the hell out of Crystal's house."

…

Later that evening, Crystal is standing on the front porch of the Singles residence hugging the vase of roses to her chest as one of her best friends, Chloe, stares down at them. Chloe crosses her arms and leans up against the doorframe, her classic sly expression spread across her face. "So, Crystal's got a love interest. This makes what, five?"

Crystal sighs and rolls her eyes at the clouds, "You know, Loki guessed the same thing."

"Look, if you really want to know who this person is, why don't you just call the flower shop and ask for the address of the person who sent these to you?" Chloe chimes, cocking her forehead, "They even have this cool app now where you can just type in the order number at the bottom," Chloe explains, pausing to tap on the bottom of the green, translucent vase, "and they'll text the information to you."

Crystal nods, intrigued by her friend's surprising feats, "How do you know all this?"

"Eh, I used to work at one of these places," Chloe shrugs, before nudging Crystal in the arm, "Here. Give me your phone."

Crystal reaches into her pocket and hands Chloe her cell phone. She moves towards her, watching as Chloe types away on the screen. "Yep, here we go," Chloe states as the pair stares intently at the device. Crystal's cell phone dings, "Okay. It says the order was done as part of an express package at 7:13 a.m. this morning and the call was received from 91 Road to Nowhere," Chloe reads, pausing to lock eyes with a puzzled Crystal, "Ah, I see what you did here. This is a joke, right? You sent these flowers to yourself."

Crystal leans back in place, the revelation shocking her to her core. "Uh…yeah," Crystal abruptly replies, swerving on her heel and taking off down the front pathway.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Chloe shouts, waving her hand in the air as she watches Crystal retreat, never seeing her friend more determined in her life, "I still have your cell phone!"

"Keep it!" Crystal fires down the road.

…

Across town, Vidcund and Isabella have just trudged up Cover Up Road's hill, the pair exhausted after an unsuccessful day filled with searching. Vidcund sighs as they stop at the edge of the estate, the lights from inside and the setting Sun illuminating the outside area around them. "Hey, I'm sorry we spent the whole day chasing down Lazlo's potential love interest," Vidcund apologizes, staring into his girlfriend's eyes, "but the truth is I'm kinda new to this whole relationship thing. And I honestly had no idea what to get you for Valentine's Day, or if you even wanted to celebrate Valentine's Day, and-"

"-Vidcund?" Isabella squeaks, smiling sweetly at him.

"Yeah?"

Isabella moves forward and pulls the mayor into an embrace, the serene scenery around them calming her as they stand under the night sky.

"Just…don't leave me, alright?" she whispers into his shoulder.

Vidcund nods, holding her tighter as he blissfully sighs, "Alright," he promises, his eyes opening a bit as he spies a large cardboard package sitting next to his bedroom, "Oh, and I got us a double bed."

"What?" Isabella chimes, pulling back slightly from him.

"Yeah," Vidcund replies, wrapping his arm around her and pointing out towards the box, "I want you to feel like this is your home, too. Plus, this will probably cut back on the amount of times one of us wakes up on the floor with back problems," he quips, the light from the golden sunset illuminating his facial features.

Isabella laughs before gazing at her boyfriend in wonder, "Well, okay then," she beams, "Now I'm officially home."

…

Meanwhile, inside the Curious residence, Pascal is sitting in the TV room curiously examining the store-bought, grade-school-esque card he got from Nervous Subject. "Nice card," Lazlo compliments, stopping in front of his brother with a cherry soda in hand. He pops it open, "I like the puppy on it."

Pascal gives a nose laugh and sets it back down on the desk, "Thanks, but I don't really think he understands the concept of Valentine's Day," he sighs, standing up from his seat and moseying over to the answering machine. He steps forward and glances at the yellow Sticky Note stuck to the buttons, "Hey, did you tell Izzy that her mom called? I guess she couldn't get a hold of Izzy on her cell phone."

"Izzy's mother called over here?" Lazlo repeats, his eyes filling with hearts. He sets his drink down on the kitchen island and sighs.

"Yeah…" Pascal confirms, tapping his chin as he paces over to his brother, a peculiar look spread across his face. Pascal stops at the end of the island, instantly recognizing the glazed look in Lazlo's eyes, "Oh God, don't tell me. _She's_ the one you fell in love with?!"

"Huh, I guess so," Lazlo realizes, the circumstance rushing back to him as he props his head up with his elbow, "Hey, do you think she's too old for me?" he wonders.

Pascal's stomach sinks into his chest as he turns back towards the wall, vigorously searching his brain for a solution before a certain sim finds out and uncharacteristically swears revenge on him, "Oh, this is _bad_ ," he mutters, anxiously playing with his hands.

…

Later that night, Crystal storms into the living room, sets down the roses on the end table, and plops her purse down on the living room carpet, the noise startling her housemate, who is busy reading a book on auto mechanics. Crystal sighs and relentlessly runs her fingers through her hair, doing her best to control her emotions.

"Whoa, what's with you?" Loki wonders, setting down his book when he sees her frantic state, "Did you see a ghost or something?"

Crystal stops in place and clasps her hands together, being surprisingly cagey for some who wants answers. She sighs once more, perching her hand on her hip before glaring down at him, "You sent me these flowers," she states definitively.

"Oh…" Loki replies, clearly taken off-guard by the sudden declaration, "uh, yeah. I did," he confesses, nervously rubbing the back of his neck, having a hard time gazing up at her.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Crystal shouts, her voice blaring across the residence, "Do you have any idea how much trouble we can get into if the police find out that you used the telephone unsupervised?" she squeaks, her voice changing registers, "What exactly were you trying to accomplish?!"

"I just-" Loki begins, standing up from the sofa to stare at her face to face, "Look," he sighs, "I was just trying to cheer you up, okay? You were having such a hard time with Lazlo, and-"

"So, this is fake?" Crystal says, reaching down and grabbing the card from the coffee table. She holds it up to him.

Loki steps backward, now knowing he's been backed into a corner, "Well…no," Loki replies, tripping over his words, "but, in my defense, you were never supposed to find out."

"If you didn't want me to find out, then why did you write your feelings for me on a card and send it to the house?!" Crystal blares, unable to believe what she is hearing, her cheeks red at the thought.

"Because…I like you, okay?" Loki confesses, having a hard time facing her after he says these words, "I really like you."

"Are you nuts?!" Crystal cries, her words seemingly incessant, "A person like me would never go with someone like you! Did you honestly think that I would go out with scum?!"

"No," Loki squeaks, the budding tears causing his eyes to shine, "I know that I don't have a chance with you, but honestly, I never thought that you would stoop to my level," he states, barely making eye contact with her, "At least now I finally know how you feel about me: I'm the scum of the earth," he shrugs, "which is ironic, because after my whole empire collapsed and I was spared from execution, you the were the only person who made me feel like maybe I wasn't."

Crystal steps forward, her expression softening when she sees the level of hurt on his face. She reaches out to him, "Loki-"

"It doesn't matter. Really, it doesn't," Loki replies, holding his hands up and quickly moving away from her, "Don't even think about it," he tells her as he walks towards the bathroom. He stops at the open doorway and turns to her, "Happy Valentine's Day, Crystal," he states as sincerely as possible in this circumstance. Loki closes the door and locks himself in the bathroom. He leans up against the large, wooden block and hides his face in his hands, letting out a deep, sorrowful sigh.

Outside of the doorway, Crystal stands in silence, reeling over everything he just said.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Loki," she whispers back.


	15. Kristen's Wedding

**Still in Love With You**

 _Chapter Fifteen – Kristen's Wedding_

Crystal sighs as she paces through her bedroom early the next morning, feeling rather dejected after her confrontation with Loki. She stops in front of her bedroom window, her spare cell phone perched against her ear, "So, are you coming?" Chloe's voice rings from the other line, "Cause Kristen's going to be really pissed if you're late."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Crystal replies, her wistful tone suggesting that her thoughts are elsewhere.

"Well, alright. I'll see you in fifteen," Chloe responds as shuffling is heard from the background, "Oh, by the way, did you ever figure out who sent you those flowers?"

"Bye, Chloe!" Crystal snaps, hoping to deter this conversation as long as possible.

Crystal hangs up her phone and turns away from the window, her mind still reeling from last night. She is trying her hardest to wash the moment from her memory, but the whole world seems to want to scream it from the rooftops.

She rubs her aching forehead a few times before quietly stepping out of her bedroom, her heart pounding in her chest. Crystal quietly creeps forward, praying to Will Wright that Loki isn't awake at noon on a Saturday, but knowing that the chances of this happening are slim to nil.

Crystal steps into the living room, finding Loki on the sofa engrossed in his newest crossword puzzle book that he is using to hide his face. "Great, you're up," Loki flatly speaks, not bothering to look up from his puzzle book, "Lazlo sent you some flowers."

"Really?" Crystal squeaks, a tinge of excitement in her voice. Crystal can't tell if it's because of the gift or the fact that Loki is actually talking to her, but she rushes over to the end table before she can give it a second thought.

Crystal leans down, staring at the bouquet of lilies that Lazlo got her. She smiles and picks up the small pastel pink card that is tied around its vase. Crystal reads it over, her face falling as she scans the message, which is surprisingly vapid and uninspired. She sets down the card, immediately finding her gaze drawing to the roses that Loki sent her across the room. Crystal sighs and blushes slightly, trying to her best to mask her disappointment.

…

Three hours later, Crystal is sitting at the head table at Kristen and Amar's beautiful outdoor wedding reception dressed in a sky blue, one-sleeved bridesmaid gown, her sleeve buried in a hodgepodge of flowers. Crystal sighs as she gazes out at the happy couple, who are sharing their very first dance as husband and wife. "Lola, tell me the truth," Crystal mutters to the only other bridesmaid still situated at the table, her head in her hand, "Do you think Lazlo will ever marry me?"

"I don't know," Lola replies, taking a sip of wine from her glass before standing up from her chair, "Why don't you ask him?"

Crystal sighs as she watches Lola walk off, leaving her once again alone. "Well, I guess I better get used to it," Crystal mutters, "After all, I'm going to be alone forever-"

"Hey Crystal," an innocuous voice calls out beside her. Crystal looks up only to find her date standing in front of the table; Lazlo smiles at her, "You wanna dance with me?" he wonders.

Crystal puffs her cheeks and lackadaisically deflates them. She grabs his hand and forces a smile, "Sure."

…

"So, you never told me what you thought about the flowers," Lazlo states a few minutes after stepping onto the wooden blocks, the couple swaying on the dance floor to a slow song.

"Oh, uh…they were great, thanks," Crystal replies, Loki's heartfelt confession from yesterday still playing on loop in her mind.

Lazlo cocks his forehead, staring at the apathetic look in his girlfriend's eyes, "Crystal, is everything okay? You're really not acting like yourself today."

"I'm fine, Lazlo," Crystal huffs, her response too quick for comfort, "I've just-been busy, you know…with work?" she fibs, tightening her arms around him.

"Well, alright. If you say so," Lazlo states, pulling his girlfriend closer to him. He lovingly sighs as he looks up at the cloudless blue sky, "I like you, Crystal. I really like you."

Crystal freezes, these familiar words causing her heart to sink into her chest. She lightly pushes Lazlo away from her as pure panic fills her core. "No, I can't do this. We can't be together! It doesn't matter how I feel about you, this will never work!" she screams. Although her outburst is directed at Lazlo, it's clear these words were meant for someone else.

"What are you talking about?" Lazlo wonders, his voice surprisingly calm and laced with a mixture of confusion and concern.

"Nothing," Crystal replies, mentally biting her tongue at her slip-up, "I-I have to use the bathroom," she stutters, swerving on her heel and taking off across the dance floor before Lazlo stop her.

Crystal reaches into her pocket and pulls out her cell phone, which hasn't chimed once since her phone call with Chloe that morning. Crystal sighs as she stares down at the empty screen. As much as this day was supposed to be about her friend getting married, her mind can't help but slip back to thoughts of her housemate.

"I must be going crazy," Crystal mutters, walking into the nearest porta potty and locking the door.

…

Twenty minutes later, Lazlo heads back to his reception table and rejoins his own housemates, his face filled with concern. "Well, Crystal must've gotten sick or something because she still hasn't left the bathroom," he tells Vidcund, who sets his fork down on his plate.

"I'm sorry, Lazlo," Vidcund replies from his seat next to Isabella, "Hopefully it wasn't anything she ate."

"Yeah, but if it was, make sure to get a sample of the food," Pascal chimes out from the other side of Lazlo, "It could help me with my next Nobel-Prize-winning invention!"

Isabella sets her fork down and pushes her plate of half-eaten cake towards the center of the table and away from her sleeveless pink gown, "Wait, you won the Nobel Prize?" Pascal nods, "Then how come you never mentioned it before?"

"Eh, it didn't really seem like anything worth noting," Pascal says, waving the recognition off.

"You mean we never showed you the clip?" Vidcund adds, turning to his girlfriend and pulling out his phone. Isabella shakes her head as he searches for the video on SimTube, "Oh man, are you in for a treat!" he exclaims, scooting closer to Isabella and pressing the play button.

The video shows a thirty-year-old Pascal Curious standing beside Circe, Loki, and Mortimer Goth onstage at the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony in front of thousands of the most prestigious and talented sims in the Simverse. The quad of scientists is anxiously awaiting the proper recognition for their years of scientific findings and research. The camera pans over the audience, which features the family members of the nominees sitting in the first two rows.

The head of committee stands behind the podium, holding a single golden envelope in his hands. Even though he is dressed in his best formal attire, he cannot outshine the stylishness of the nominees. "And the Nobel Prize for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Physics goes to…" the head of the committee pauses to tear open the envelope. He smiles as he stares down at the card, "…PASCAL CURIOUS!"

"Yes! YES!" Pascal cheers as Loki and Circe both shake their heads behind him. Pascal throws his hands up towards the ceiling, giving another rambunctious cheer before kneeling and gesturing towards Mortimer Goth, "Whoo, yeah! Suck it, Mortimer!" Pascal cries, thrusting his hips in the old man's direction, "Eighty-seven my ass! WOOO!"

Pascal jumps off the stage and races over to Cassandra, who is sitting next to her fiancé, Don Lothario, in the first row. Pascal leans forward and kisses her on the cheek, the young man exuding confidence over his latest victory. Don Lothario stomps over and punches Pascal square in the face, knocking him out cold. He stays sprawled out on the floor for the reminder of the video.

Vidcund sighs the closes the video, which is entitled, "Pascal Curious Tells Mortimer Goth to 'Suck It'" on his phone. Vidcund places it back into his pocket and turns back to Izzy. "After that display, we were receiving hate mail for years. We had to get a separate P.O. box just to hold it all," Vidcund tells her, "but it really made separating out our bills a whole lot easier."

"Yeah," Pascal states, sighing in satisfaction after taking a much-needed sip of his drink, "My win was almost as controversial as Lazlo winning the Miss Simverse competition in 2008."

Several years prior, Pascal and Vidcund are sitting in the audience of the 2008 Miss Simverse Competition in downtown Strangetown waiting patiently as a fancily-dressed Craig Ray announces the results of this year's competition onstage, a lone Circe Beaker beaming behind him, dressed in her best emerald evening gown.

"And the winner of The Forty-Second Annual Miss Simverse Pageant is…"

Circe stands triumphantly onstage, holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers in her hands as she fills up with excitement; the smirk not leaving her face since she drove off all her remaining competitors. "This is it," she says, "It _has_ to be me," Circe claims, smiling as she locks eyes with her boyfriend in the audience, "There's no other option!"

Craig opens the silver envelope and reads over the results, his eyebrows instantly scrunching in confusion. He slowly leans forward and speaks into the microphone, "Lazlo Curious?" he announces, his voice filled with hesitation.

Everyone in the audience awes as the spotlight shines down on the youngest Curious brother, who is standing at the side of the stage looking genuinely shocked. Lazlo slowly steps out from behind the curtain and walks over to Craig, passing by a dumbstruck yet fuming Circe. At first, only his brothers are clapping, but by the time he reaches the podium the entire audience has erupted into a round of applause.

The audience goes wild with cheers as Craig places the Miss Simverse crown and sash around him. He hands Lazlo a massive bouquet of red roses. Lazlo turns and waves to the crowd, still wearing the lavender heels from earlier in the competition.

"WHAT?!" Circe cries, her voice blaring over the crowd's thunder, "He can't win!" she screams into Craig's face, "This is the _Miss_ Simverse competition, and Lazlo is NOT a woman!"

"Wait," Ajay speaks up from his place at the judge's table, holding a single finger out to silence Circe as he flips through the official handbook, "Let's see if there's anything that forbids this in the rules," Ajay begins, scanning the book over. After a brief moment, he looks up at the fuming contestant and smirks, "Nope." Circe snarls.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your new Miss Simverse…LAZLO!" Craig announces, taking a step back slightly and presenting Lazlo with open arms.

"Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me!" Circe growls.

The audience erupts into an even louder round of applause as Lazlo waves to the crowd, the signature Miss Simverse tune playing in the background.

Pascal and Vidcund continue clapping from their seats in the front row. Pascal is cheering at the top of his lungs while Vidcund is softly applauding for his brother, wanting to show his support for him while also making sure his girlfriend doesn't chastise him for it later.

"Woo, yeah Lazlo!" Pascal beams, standing up from his seat to call out to him, "You make such a great woman!"

Vidcund turns to his older brother, a peculiar look spread across his face.

"Yeah…" present-day Pascal coos, sighing lovingly as he thinks back to that fateful occurrence, "that was the last time they allowed write-ins."

A few seats down from him, Isabella still appears puzzled. She turns to Lazlo, "Wait, I don't understand – how did you end up winning the competition?"

"Well, Crystal hurt her foot before she was able to go onstage for the final catwalk, so I ended up doing it for her – _in heels_ ," Lazlo explains, a small smile creeping on his face as he thinks back to that very day, "She earned the most points but eventually got disqualified because substitutions were against the rules."

"Was she mad?" Isabella wonders.

Lazlo shakes his head. "Nah, she only entered the pageant because her mother wanted her to."

"Was her mother mad?"

"Oh yeah," Lazlo zealously nods, bringing his hand up to his chin in a ponder, "You know, looking back, it makes so much sense why Circe no longer likes us."

"Yeah…" Pascal sighs, staring up at the clouds in thought. He locks eyes with Lazlo, his forehead tilted in confusion at this new piece of information, "Wait, you mean she liked us in the first place?" he asks, quickly tensing up when he sees someone approaching their table, "Speak of the devil…" he mutters, sinking in his chair a bit as he nudges Vidcund in the side with his elbow, "Crazy pants at five o'clock," Pascal whisper-warns.

Vidcund frantically turns to Isabella, "Quick! There's only time for one of us to escape. Go! Go!" Vidcund exclaims, helping Isabella out of her seat and lightly pushing her towards the open exit. Isabella nods and takes off towards the buffet just as Circe comes in like a hurricane.

Circe stomps forward and slams her hands onto the table, surprisingly taking the liberty of dressing up in a short, formal green dress to try to blend in with the rest of the guests. She leans forward and locks eyes with Vidcund, her piercing glare burning into his soul. "Vidcund Curious," she barks, her stoic expression showing she means business, "I still like you, and I'm prepared to do anything to get you back…except change my looks or my personality in any way because – let's face it – they're already perfect."

Vidcund scoots back in his chair, doing his best to not to show weakness, "Circe, I've moved on," he states firmly, "I'm dating somebody else, and I really like her."

"Really? You _like_ her?" Circe rebukes, folding her arms over her torso, "Miss 'let's wear pink cutesy outfits and butt into everyone's business'?" Circe mocks, narrowing her eyes at her ex-boyfriend, "Geez! You're not doing yourself any favors," she grumbles, rolling her eyes up at the sky, "Honestly Vidcund, do you want to know what people are saying about you? They're saying that you're robbing the cradle, that you're crazy for liking a girl who's five years younger than you! And, quite frankly, I agree!"

"So what?" Vidcund retorts, standing up from his seat to glare down at his ex, "Do you really think I give a damn what the media says? If I did, then I wouldn't have gone out with you!" he argues, his comment causing Circe to cringe a bit, "I like Isabella, okay? Can't you just be happy for me?" he sighs.

"No," Circe immediately repeats, looking at Vidcund as if he's crazy for even thinking something so absurd, "What part of my personality makes you think I would be?"

Behind her, Pascal nonchalantly takes a sip of his drink, "She's got you there, Vid," he mutters.

Vidcund crosses his arms and turns back to his ex-girlfriend, "You know what, Circe? Maybe if you weren't so mean to me and all the people that I care about, I wouldn't have broken up with you."

Circe shakes her head, completely brushing the statement off, "No, that can't be it."

Vidcund sighs and turns slightly away from her. He rubs his aching temples, "We are not getting back together," he states.

"Well," Circe huffs, struggling to contain her livid disposition, "We'll just see about that!"

Circe swerves on her heel and exits the premises, leaving the Curious brothers stunned. She storms by Isabella who is busy chatting with the bride and groom. Circe swiftly grabs Isabella by the arm, a look of fierce determination gracing the former physicist's face.

"I have to talk to you," Circe mutters, pulling Isabella towards the less-populated side of the venue. She pulls Isabella into a photo booth and shuts the curtain, the young college graduate too shocked to say anything in response. Circe lets out a heavy exhale and scans the small, enclosed space. "Good. I don't think anyone saw us."

"Perfect," Isabella squeaks, cowering a tad in place.

Circe rolls her eyes, "Relax girly, I'm not going to kill you. I'm past that now," Circe informs her, waving off the very thought with her hand, "Believe me, if I actually wanted you dead, you would've been long gone by this point," she says; Isabella's eyes widen like saucers, "But enough about that…look, I have everything to gain from you two breaking up, but as a somewhat decent human being, I must warn you – dating Vidcund doesn't come without a price," Circe says, her tone surprisingly genuine, "The media will stop at nothing to document a scandal – even if they have to make one up. Thanks to them, I can't even look up my name on the internet anymore. Not to mention the fact that they completely ruined the careers of myself and my ex-husband…"

Isabella cocks her forehead, feeling shockingly sympathetic towards her supposed rival, "Circe, I-"

"Hold on, girly. I'm not finished yet," Circe cuts her off, still focused on the rest of her speech, "If you really want to date Vidcund, then you better be prepared to take the rest of the public with him because there will be cameras on you almost constantly," she continues, before reaching to the side of the photo booth and tearing open the aqua curtain. She gestures out at the crowds of people in attendance, "You see those people? They have no idea who you are right now. They don't know and they don't care. But sometime in the very near future, every single person in the neighborhood is going to know who you are…or rather, who the media _thinks_ you are," she says, the thought causing a chill to run down Isabella's spine, "And trust me when I say it's going to tear you up inside."

"It won't be like that," Isabella tells her, "Vidcund and I will stay strong."

Circe tisks and shakes her head pitifully at the naiveté of her romantic rival, "Yes, it will because you two will not be treated the same. Ever since Vidcund was elected, he was viewed as a hero – the savior of the city. But you? You're just his side piece," Circe claims, narrowing her eyes at Isabella, who is so uncomfortable that she refuses to look at her, "I was there…I know you're the one who really saved the city. But when the article came out in The Strangetown Monthly, tell me, who got all the credit?"

"It doesn't matter," Isabella squeaks, barely able to get the words out as she faces one of the empty corners.

"Yes, it does. And you don't want to face the truth because deep down, you know I'm right," Circe reveals, staring down at her, "Vidcund won't look out for you when your reputation goes under, your relationship will fail, and you'll be left with nothing. Is this really a risk you want to take?"

Isabella sniffs and hugs her body, getting weaker by the moment. "What do you want me to say? That I wholeheartedly trust you?"

"I want you to step back and really think about what you're doing," Circe answers, stepping towards the troubled young girl, "Because this decision could end up costing you. And as much as I don't particularly like you, I would hate to see another person get run over by the Vidcund train."

"Isabella!" Vidcund cries out, searching the premises a mere ten feet away from them. The mayor stops in the center of the lot, spotting the pair in the open photo booth, "Isabella, thank God!" Vidcund sighs, racing over and hugging her. Vidcund looks up, awkwardly making eye contact with Circe, who is standing by his new girlfriend, severely unimpressed. He loosens his grip on Isabella a bit as the couple turns their attentions towards her.

Circe cocks her forehead, flashing her signature smirk as she gives Vidcund a once-over, "Enjoy your side piece," she coos, exiting out of the photo booth without so much as a second glance. She struts by Pascal and Lazlo, who are first in line for the booth, her confident walk showing Circe has hit her stride.

Pascal turns to Vidcund, "Well, isn't she a ray of sunshine?" he quips as Vidcund tightens his grip on Isabella.

…

One hour later, Crystal is back sitting at the head table looking bored out of her mind. She reaches across the tablecloth and grabs her phone, scrolling to the bottom of her thread with Loki. Her heart sinks in her chest when she notices there are no new messages from him. Crystal sighs and sets her cell phone back down on the table as she scans the reception, which has been sharply winding down since Pascal lost his shoe in the punch bowl a mere two hours ago. Crystal sits up in her chair slightly as Lola joins her at the table.

"Man, this party just keeps going and going," Lola says, appearing equally as tired as her friend, "With any luck, we won't have to attend another wedding for years."

Crystal nose laughs, cracking a small smile, "Well, that's probably the best news I've heard all day."

"Here's some more good news," Lola begins, scooting her chair closer to Crystal, "I heard some members of the council say that they're thinking of getting rid of Loki."

" _What_?" Crystal squeaks, the taste of copper forming in her mouth.

"Yeah," Lola confirms with a nod, "Charlie seemed really adamant about it. I figured you'd be relieved because now you'll get your life back. God knows you didn't want him in the first place – no one did," Lola reminds Crystal, the townie speechless, "It must be awkward living with him, you know, because everyone hates him so much."

Crystal leans back in her seat a tad, clearly distraught by this conversation, "Uh…I don't think everyone hates him," Crystal squeaks out, anxiously tapping on the table.

"Crystal, come on, even he hates himself," Lola retorts, Crystal's stomach sinking at this news, "It will be much better for everyone when he's gone."

"I-I-" Crystal stutters, fiddling with her hair as she shifts into a heated panic, "I gotta go. I think I'm going to throw up!" she cries, zooming past the head table and leaving Lola in shock.

Crystal curses as she trips over the sole of her right silver heel. She stops in place, grunting as she takes them off. Crystal carries them in her hands as she races off the lot, not stopping until she reaches her residence.

Crystal breathes a sigh of relief as she bursts through the door, matching gazes with Loki, who is now staring at her bizarrely from the sofa. Loki stands up from the couch, taking in his housemate's frantic state as he stares down at Crystal in concern. "Oh my God, are you alright?"

Crystal nods, chucks her heels carelessly down on the carpet, and approaches him. She throws her arms around Loki, shocking the former Slavestown ruler to his core. He tenses up at her touch, but part of him prays that she never lets go.

…

Meanwhile, at the Curious residence, the Curious brothers and Isabella are reentering the estate after a day filled with eventful occurrences, the latter not saying much since her conversation with Circe. Vidcund sighs as he takes off his tie, turning to Pascal, who is grabbing one of his infamous chocolate pudding cups from the refrigerator. "Well, that was a total disaster," Vidcund remarks, untying his tie and throwing it onto the nearest empty computer desk.

"Agreed," Pascal nods, peeling off the lid of his snack, "but I gotta say, I was pleasantly surprised by Circe."

Vidcund tilts his forehead, wondering where Pascal is going with this. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well," Pascal begins, stopping to eat a spoonful of pudding, "you've been dating Izzy for three months, and it took Circe that long to make a scene that wasn't even fatal. I guess she really has matured. I mean, this isn't like Circe at all."

Vidcund steps back, his face filled with dubiousness as troubling thoughts race into his mind, "Yeah…it's not."

…

"Alright. What's the deal?" Vidcund fires, standing face to face with Circe on the front porch of the Beaker estate twenty minutes later, the light from the outside lamps illuminating the scene with a sharp, golden glow as Vidcund glares down at his ex, "Why didn't you sell us out to the press?" he wonders, narrowing his eyes at Circe, "You know, you may have everyone else fooled, but I know you're out for blood."

Circe leans against the doorway, giving nothing more than a light shrug, "I just didn't think it would a wise idea to burn bridges, Viddy. We have a child together; it just wouldn't be smart."

"Right…" Vidcund replies apprehensively, his arms crossed.

"Based on your expression, I can tell you don't believe me," Circe notes, pushing herself off the doorframe and standing straight up to face him, "But I meant what I said at the wedding, Vidcund. I want you back."

Vidcund steps back slightly, puzzled by Circe's surprising display of raw emotion. Up until this very moment, he didn't know Circe could be this sincere about anything.

"Okay," Vidcund states, his face devoid of all emotion.

"Really?" Circe squeaks, unable to believe what she is hearing, "Okay as in we're getting back together?"

Vidcund shakes his head, "Okay as in thanks for telling me that piece of information and for not trying to actively ruin my life," Vidcund reiterates, turning back towards the front porch staircase, "I'm going to head home now-"

"Wait!" Circe cries, holding her hand out towards him. Vidcund reluctantly stops in place and sighs, "Come on Vidcund, what do I have to do to get you back in my life?"

"Nothing," Vidcund replies, barely looking at her, "because I'm not going to date you again. Our relationship was over the moment you knocked my brothers out."

"You know I didn't mean it," Circe outbursts, tearing up slightly, "I had to play a part-"

Vidcund sighs, staring vehemently down at his ex-girlfriend, "We are _not_ getting back together, Circe," he states definitely, hoping to ingrain this realization deep into her mind, "I meant it when I said it three months ago, and I still mean it now. You never loved me, remember? It was just a show for the cameras!" he mockingly declares, throwing his hands up.

Circe leans back against the doorway, her own words stinging almost as much as the rejection itself. Circe watches as Vidcund storms off the premises and disappears into the night. As much as she hates to admit it, Vidcund cut her and he cut her deep, but she can't wait to return the favor and cause him pain. She can't wait to be front and center to watch his life and his relationship with Izzy crash and burn.

"Just remember Vidcund," Circe coos into the dead of night as she stares out at the emptiness of the desert, the wind picking up around her, "you brought this on yourself."


	16. Revenge!

**Still in Love With You**

 _Chapter Sixteen – Revenge!_

Pascal cheerfully whistles as he moseys around the Curious residence's kitchen early Monday morning. He smiles as he grabs a precut English muffin from atop the kitchen island, spreads a thin layer of butter on it, and takes a bite. Pascal gently sets down the muffin on a spare white napkin and takes a sip of his coffee as he flips over the latest issue of The Strangetown Monthly. He peers at the cover and instantaneously spits out his drink. "Oh God…Oh God!" Pascal squeals, standing up from his seat, frantically pacing the floor on his tiptoes. He glances down at the cover once more and winces, folding it shut before racing over to his brother's door. Pascal pounds on the wooden surface with his fist.

"Vidcund! VIDCUND!" Pascal repeatedly cries, surveying the hallway like he is being hunted.

A mere ten seconds later, a groggy Vidcund appears at the door. "God Pascal, what is it? I don't have to be at work for another two hours," he states, clearly agitated by the disruption.

Pascal whimpers and holds the magazine up to his brother. The cover is a nude photo of Vidcund taken during his first term in office with his arms around an equally-naked Circe. Even though most of the image is censored, it is clear that he is cradling her breasts. To top it all off the words "Major Scandal!" are plastered diagonally across the top in all caps. It only takes about a second for Vidcund's face to fill with horror. He steps back into his room and shrivels into a fetal position.

…

Meanwhile, across the Road to Nowhere, Loki is sitting on the sofa covering his ears in annoyance as the landline rings off the hook. Nearby, Crystal is pacing the living room in a frenzy, the latest issue of The Strangetown Monthly rolled up in her palm. Crystal walks over to the wall, throws the magazine down on the end table, and detaches the phone, giving a huge sigh of relief as she leans her back up against the bookcase.

"Man," Loki states, picking up the magazine and glancing at the cover. He gives a small nose laugh when he sees it, "Vidcund must've really pissed Circe off for her to tank her own reputation like this," he says, setting the magazine back down on the end table before he vomits at the sight of it, "My advice to him would be to sit back and lay low because he can't win this."

"Huh," Crystal replies, staring ponderously out the window, "You know, that's actually not terrible advice," she awes, pushing herself off the wall with her foot and heading into the bathroom, "I'm going to go take a shower," Crystal announces. She slams and locks the door behind her.

Loki gives a small nod, playing with his hands a bit as he scans the room for something to abate his boredom. His gaze hovers over the magazine and lands on a corner of an envelope that is shooting out of the end table drawer. Loki quickly surveys the scene before sliding open the drawer slightly and freeing the piece of mail. He turns it over, a foul stench seeping out from the seams. "Oh my God, this is hate mail," Loki mutters, flapping open the already-torn-into envelope and pulling out its contents: a single sheet of paper. The word 'die' is scattered across the back of the page in thick, red ink.

Loki stops in his tracks, now noticing that the drawer is flooded with letters similar to the one that he is holding. He leans forward and grabs a stack of them in his hand as he stares up at the blank TV. "What the hell is going on here?" he wonders.

…

Twenty-five minutes later, Vidcund is sitting at the kitchen island with Pascal, the mayor sighing after he gets off the phone with a very peeved Crystal. Vidcund closes his cell phone and sets it onto the counter. It's less than an hour into this scandal and he is already filled with defeat.

"I don't get it," Pascal speaks, staring down at his distressed middle brother as Vidcund tirelessly runs his hand over his face, "Why did you let Circe take pictures of the two of you?"

"Because I'm an idiot, okay?" Vidcund cries, the weight of the world on his shoulders, "And something tells me that she's going to keep releasing these things until I get back together with her."

"Wait, _things_?" Pascal repeats, his face scrunching at this comment, "You mean there's more than just this photo?"

"Of course there's more than just the photo!" Vidcund outbursts, getting more vexed by the moment, "There's probably dozens of these images."

"Well," Pascal states, releasing a huge sigh of relief before he continues, "then why don't you just go to the cops with this?" he asks, "Isn't this defamation of character?"

Vidcund groans and sighs into his hands, "Believe me, I tried. But Circe is so well-connected that there's only so much that they're willing to do for me," he reveals, burying his face in his palms, "Oh man, this thing is just a nightmare come true. I can already tell it's going to be worse than the first scandal. And we both know how horrible that was for everyone involved," Vidcund mutters, setting his hands down on the island as the haunting memories start seeping into his mind, "I'll be the laughing stock of the town again. I won't be able to go anywhere without getting shunned by the community!" Vidcund lists, his face turning red at the thought, "And then there's Izzy. Oh God, she's going to dump me!" Vidcund wails, bursting into tears on the spot.

Pascal takes a step towards him and awkwardly stares down at his brother, who is now weeping onto the counter. Pascal anxiously surveys the scene, trying his best to find something to help diffuse the situation and comfort him. He walks into the hallway and starts searching the premises for his redheaded housemate. "Izzy! Izzy!" Pascal whisper-exclaims, sticking his head out of his bedroom's back door. Finding the backyard empty, Pascal swerves on his heel, accidentally knocking into Lazlo in the process. "Whoa, hey!" Pascal greets, quickly re-stabilizing himself, "Have you seen Izzy anywhere? Vidcund is losing it in the kitchen as we speak."

Lazlo shakes his head, "No, I think she's out," he answers honestly, Vidcund's sobs resounding from the kitchen. Lazlo sighs, "He saw the magazine, didn't he?"

"You mean you saw it too?"

"No," Lazlo states, gesturing over his shoulder at the television mounted on Pascal's bedroom wall, "It's on the news."

Pascal steps to the side, eyeing the headlines that are strolling across the bottom of the screen while a team of newscasters appear to be discussing the scandal in more detail above it. The eldest Curious brother's eyes widen like saucers. "Well… _shit_ ," he mutters.

"Well, I hate to leave you guys with this gigantic mess, but I gotta go back to my room and practice my speech," Lazlo tells his oldest brother, stepping back into the hallway, "Today's the day I'm finally going to break up with Crystal," he states; Pascal raises an eyebrows at this news, "I know this isn't great timing, but I really don't want to drag things out any longer," Lazlo confesses, letting out a small sigh as he briefly thinks of the outcome, "I just hope this doesn't break her heart and leave her devastated. She's been so good to me."

…

Meanwhile, back at the Vu residence, Crystal has just stepped out of the bathroom fully dressed for the day, pushing her backup cell phone into her pocket. She stops in her tracks when she is met by Loki, who is holding the stack of hate mail in his hands. He narrows his eyes at her, "Are you hiding hate mail from me?" he wonders.

Crystal rolls back on her heels, completely taken off-guard by the sudden accusation. "I-I'm sorry," Crystal stutters, quickly reaching forward and snatching the letters out from his hands. Loki watches as she tosses them into a nearby trashcan, "I'm usually more on top of these things."

"Crystal," Loki states, kneeling in front of the trashcan and retrieving a few of the letters. He stands up to face her, "I can handle hate mail. You don't need to hide this stuff from me to try to protect me. I don't care what these people think," he claims, gesturing down at some of the letters.

"Really?" Crystal squeaks, cocking her forehead at this piece of information, "Cause one of the ones you're holding makes fun of your sweater."

Loki briefly glances at the letter before matching Crystal's eyeline with a smirk, "No, it doesn't," he states, seeing right through the townie's buff, "You're just trying to give me a hard time."

Crystal smiles and nods, taking off towards the refrigerator, "You're too good, Beaker," she chimes, grabbing onto the handle of the refrigerator and pulling the door open, scouring for breakfast.

…

Twenty minutes later, across the Road to Nowhere, Isabella is sitting on Tank and Kea's living room sofa, deep in a conversation with her best friend over her latest conundrum. "I know I shouldn't trust her, Kea, but what if Circe's words actually merit some value?" Isabella questions, staring up at her noticeably-pregnant best friend, who has surprisingly been standing tall beside the sofa for the last twenty minutes, "What if Vidcund really is Strangetown's poster child while I'm treated like a schlub?"

Kea steps back in place, her face pale as she eyes the nearby television, "Yeah…I don't think you're going to have to worry about that happening," she declares, nudging Isabella in the side and gesturing at the headlines blazing across the screen.

Isabella cocks her forehead, "Why not?" she wonders, before swiftly looking to where her friend is now pointing. Isabella's eyes widen as she reads the flashing headline. Her stomach drops, "Oh my God, Vidcund!" Isabella gasps, quickly grabbing her purse and taking off towards the exit. Isabella stops at the door and turns to Kea, who is doing her best to keep up with her, "Kea, I'm so sorry, but I gotta get home before he wallows in a pit of despair," Isabella states, reaching into her purse and pulling out her cell phone. She stares down at the screen and shrugs, "Well, that explains the twenty text messages from Pascal," she says. Isabella plops her phone back into her purse and wraps her arms around her friend, "I'll see you later."

"Okay," Kea nods.

Isabella swings open the doorway, only to be instantly bombarded by a crowd of reporters. They shove microphones in Isabella's face, swarming her like a pack of angry hornets. Isabella steps back towards the hallway, visibly stunned by the mind-boggling display.

"Isabella," the reporter from Channel Seven calls out as they shove a microphone to her neck, "What are your thoughts on the scandal?"

"Is your boyfriend still in love with Circe?" a second reporter butts in. Isabella nervously bites her lip at the intrusive questions.

Kea pulls Isabella back by the arm and stands firmly between them. "Alright, that's it. Show's over, people! Get the hell off my property, you leeches!" she demands, reaching around the open front doorway and grabbing onto her classic, green garden hose. Kea aims the nuzzle at the crowd, "I got a hose here, and I'm not afraid to use it! Don't make me drench you!"

The reporters talk amongst themselves for a moment. They stare up at Kea, who is still tenaciously guarding the door with a garden hose, ready to wreak havoc the second they slip up. The crowd eventually disperses off the scene, muttering swears as they do so. A few of the reporters pass by Pascal, who is casually trailing up the front path.

"That's it, you asked for it, buddy!" Kea chimes, aiming the hose and pushing the lever down as far as it can go.

Isabella eyes shoot open as she spies the young man walking up the pathway, "Kea, no! That's-"

Kea releases the water at full force causing the physicist to stumble and fall into the sand. Isabella quickly pulls Kea's hand away from the lever, consequently causing the streamline of water to stop in the process. Pascal coughs a few times and brushes himself off, drenched from head to toe.

"-Pascal," Isabella completes, sweatdropping as her housemate glares at them.

"So, I'm guessing you didn't get my texts, huh?" Pascal affirms, wiping his wet hair away from his forehead.

"I just got them. I was on my way home before we got bombarded," Isabella explains, Pascal giving a small 'ah' in response, "How is he?" Isabella wonders, hugging herself slightly as she braces for the answer.

"Not good," Pascal replies, his voice filled with veracity as he wipes his glasses on his shirt. He sighs and places them back on his face, "You should probably get home and tell him that you care about him or something because nothing Lazlo and I are doing is keeping him together," Pascal states, "But, to be fair, we didn't really try that hard."

…

Meanwhile, across the Road to Nowhere, Crystal walks into the living room, attempting to unzip her lavender purse without taking it off her shoulder. Crystal stops in the center of the room and grabs her wallet from the end table. She tosses it into her purse and zips it up, pausing slightly when she sees Loki lying down on his stomach on the sofa, his arm extended and flopped over the side of the couch. "Hey," Crystal greets, quietly approaching him, "I'm going to work. I'll see you later."

"Okay," Loki moans, his head still aching from the caffeine from the coffee he had earlier. All of a sudden, Loki jolts awake, a reminder fresh in his mind. "Hey, wait!" he cries, causing Crystal to stop at the doorway. Crystal watches as Loki races over to the second end table. Loki opens the drawer and hands Crystal her cell phone, "Chloe dropped this off last night," he states as his housemate stares down at the device in shock.

"Oh," she squeaks, her heart sinking at his kindness as a feeling of guilt starts channeling into her stomach, "Thank you," she says wholeheartedly.

Loki nods, appearing surprisingly genuine about the whole thing, "You're welcome."

"Well…bye," Crystal states, giving a small wave as she turns towards the door. She grabs onto the doorknob, her mind reeling over what just occurred. Usually sims are nasty to her once they realize they can't get what they want, but this isn't the case with Loki. Crystal steps away from the doorway, finding something holding her in place, begging her to be heard.

Crystal walks over to her housemate and sighs, collecting the words in her mind before turning to him. "Hey," Crystal speaks. Loki sits up on the sofa and stares up at her, "I'm really sorry about what I said to you on Valentine's Day," she confesses, struggling to get through this confession. Loki's expression softens, knowing how hard this must be for Crystal, who absolutely hates admitting that she is wrong, "You're not scum. You're-"

Loki stands up and delicately grabs her hand in silence as he gazes down at the carpet, "No. Stop," he reveals, unable to match her gaze, "You were right the first time. Don't apologize. You were only telling the truth."

Crystal stands in place. For once in her life, she is stunned to silence as she stares at the features of his face. She isn't sure what she is feeling, but she knows it is something she has never felt before with anyone. Crystal leans forward, shocked that Loki doesn't retreat. She anxiously presses her lips together, the palpable chemistry between them now clear as day.

Crystal steps back and sighs, fleeing the scene before she gives into the undeniable urge to kiss him. She bites her lip and gives one final goodbye, leaving Loki alone. She slams the door shut and leans up against the wooden surface, nervously running her fingers through her hair. "My God, what is wrong with me?" Crystal mutters, her breath short and raspy as she marvels over what almost occurred, "How could I even think of doing that? I'm dating Lazlo!" she cries, pacing on the front porch.

After a few moments of fretful pacing, Crystal stops and sighs, glancing down at her watch. "Whatever. It doesn't matter. I gotta go to work," she announces to the open air. Crystal takes a step down the staircase. She pauses abruptly, feeling herself drawing to the doorway. "No, no!" she scolds herself, hoping to wash away her conflictions, "Go to work. There's nothing for you here."

Crystal sighs and gives a firm nod as she trudges down the last two steps of the staircase, doing her best to keep walking and ignoring the electricity between them.

…

Fifteen minutes later, Isabella bolts across the front lawn of the Curious residence, not bothering to wait for Pascal. She races into the estate, finding Lazlo sitting at the kitchen island having lunch. "Oh, Izzy. You're back," Lazlo states, looking up from his sandwich when he sees her, his notecards spread out on the counter, "We've been looking all over for you-"

"Where's Vidcund?" Isabella asks, her one-track mind shining through.

"Uh, he's in his room," Lazlo seriously replies, gesturing his thumb over his shoulder at the hallway.

Isabella nods and zooms past him, calling Vidcund's name out a few times before swinging his bedroom door open. She steps into the room only to find Vidcund sitting like a stump on his bed, his head aimed despairingly down at the floor as he hides his face in his hands.

Isabella steps forward, drowning in sympathy as she brings her hand up to her chest. She sits down at Vidcund's side and affectionately rubs his knee.

"You saw the photos, didn't you?" Vidcund mumbles, putting his hands down to reveal his red and tear-drenched eyes. Isabella nods, "Oh God. Just break up with me now!" Vidcund shouts, near-hysterical, "Get out of this mess while you still can!"

"Vidcund," Isabella coos. She comfortingly wraps her arms around his body and holds him close to her. Isabella sighs and rests her head gently on his shoulder as Vidcund lets Isabella hold him. "Don't be ridiculous. This isn't your fault; I'm not going to break up with you."

"I can't do this, Izzy. I can't do this again," Vidcund moans, his sanity collapsing before his very eyes, "I can't handle another scandal!" Vidcund cries, sobbing into his hands once more. He sniffs and stares back at his girlfriend, "And the worst part is there's nothing I can do. Circe won't let up until she gets what she wants. And what she wants is _never_ good."

"Vidcund, calm down. It's going to be fine," Isabella assures him, placing her hand back on his shoulder, "You're a strong person. Don't let her control you and don't let this define you. You're better than that."

"Yeah," Vidcund sniffs, barely able to breathe through his nose, "I guess so."

The couple sits in silence for a moment, neither one of them knowing just what to say to each other. Finally, Vidcund sighs and turns to speak, "Izzy?" he says, "You know those photos are from years ago, right? You know I didn't cheat on you."

"I know," Isabella replies, rubbing his shoulder, "I didn't think you would."

"I know this may not be the best time for this," Vidcund begins, playing with his hands lightly, "but can we just agree right now that we'll never take naked photos together?"

Isabella nods, "Yeah, I think that's probably a good thing not to do-" Isabella stops suddenly, noticing Vidcund's cell phone vibrating on the end table next to them. She turns to Vidcund, who is so upset he hasn't even moved, "Uh, do you want me to get that?" she wonders.

Vidcund sighs, barely lifting his head up, "Could you?"

Isabella reaches forward and snatches the cell phone off the desk. She presses the green button on the screen and holds the device up to her ear, "Hello?"

" _Vidcund, you have to get down here_ _now_ _!_ " Crystal voice blares from the opposite end of the line, absolute chaos erupting behind her, " _The council is asking questions and there's only so much damage control I can do on my own!_ " she pleads as dozens of telephones ring in the background.

Isabella turns to Vidcund, carefully setting her palm over the receiver. Vidcund groans and shrugs at the ceiling. "Fine. Tell her I'll be there in twenty. That'll give me some time to calm my nerves before the shitshow."

Isabella smiles, "I'm proud of you, Vidcund."

Vidcund stands up from the bed, turns towards her, and sighs as he hugs his body. "Don't be proud of me yet. I have a feeling I'm about to mess this whole thing up."


	17. Hands Tied

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! I'm back after a two-month hiatus. Sorry this story hasn't been updated in a few months, but things have calmed down a bit in my life, so hopefully this is the first of many new chapters to come. As always, thanks for reading, and feel free to leave me a review letting me know what you think! :D

* * *

 **Still in Love With You**

 _Chapter Seventeen – Hands Tied_

Crystal is sitting at her office at the Strangetown city hall building, the sunlight from the window reflecting off her cell phone screen. She sighs as she scrolls through her message thread with Loki. Even though the outside of her office is surrounded by the sounds of dozens of nosey reporters, her mind can't help but wander back to the kiss they almost shared just forty minutes prior.

All of a sudden, Vidcund bursts through the doorway, looking the most frazzled he has in years. Vidcund quickly slams the door behind him, locks it, and leans up against the doorway as the crowd of reporters continue to shout questions at him from the other side of the wooden door. Vidcund runs his hand through his hair with a heavy sigh before staring down at Crystal, whose eyes haven't left her phone since he entered the room.

"Look, I know you're probably peeved at me," Vidcund begins, staring down at one of his biggest allies, "But I never knew that this was going to happen," he assures her, pacing in front of Crystal's desk, "And this whole thing is a colossal mess and I could really use your help to fix it." Vidcund pauses and turns to the side, now noticing that his head advisor is staring blankly at her screen, "Uh…Crystal?" Vidcund calls out, "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything's fine," Crystal swiftly answers, giving her head a gentle shake in the hopes of snapping herself back into reality. She sets her phone down on the desk, clasps her hands together, and looks up at the mayor, "So, um…what were you saying?"

Seeing her unprofessionalism, Vidcund sighs and crosses his arms, "Never mind. I'll just go with Pascal's approach," he mutters, taking a deep breath before exiting back into the hallway.

"Perfect. Sounds good to me!" Crystal shouts a moment later, now realizing that Vidcund has already left the premises a while ago. Finding herself alone, Crystal plops down in her seat and sighs, throwing her head back at the ceiling. "What is wrong with you, Crystal?" she wonders aloud, "Why can't you get him out of your mind…?"

Crystal sits up in her seat, the sound of her cell phone vibrating against the desk's surface startling her. She reaches forward, presses the green button, and holds the device up to her ear, "Hello?"

" _Hey Crystal!"_ Chloe's familiar cheery voice chimes from the other line, _"Are we still on for lunch today or what?"_

"Oh, Chloe. Right," Crystal replies, her tone dampening once she realizes who she's talking to – or rather, who she _isn't_ talking to – on the phone, "I'm sorry, I guess I was expecting someone else."

" _Ah, I get it,"_ Chloe replies. Although Crystal can't see her, she knows her friend is smirking from the other side of the city, _"You thought I was Loki."_

Crystal leans forward slightly, her face flushing at this comment. "No, no, of course not. I've just been thinking a bit about him, that's all," she confesses, doing her best to hide her fluster, "You know, things haven't been the same since I turned him down…"

" _So?"_ Chloe remarks, her voice sharpening, _"Why do you care what he thinks?"_ she asks.

"I don't," Crystal replies, knowing that this is a lie the second the sentence escapes her mouth, "it's just-I should really check on him."

" _Crystal,"_ Chloe sighs, _"I know what's going on, okay?"_ she states, Crystal's body stiffening at this news, _"I know he's the one who sent you those flowers. I just wanted to hear you say it."_

"Say what?" Crystal responds, almost gasping.

" _That you like him,"_ Chloe says causing her friend's heart to sink in her chest, _"Come on, Crystal, I've known this for a while. You make it so obvious."_

"I-I don't know what you're talking about, Chloe," Crystal states, nervously fiddling with the stack of Sticky notes on her desk, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." Crystal adamantly hangs up her phone, silencing her friend before she can make another ridiculous accusation. Crystal crosses her arms and leans back in her seat, releasing another exasperated sigh.

But deep down, she knows that her friend's accusation isn't so ridiculous after all. In fact, it may just be spot on.

…

Meanwhile, along the Road to Nowhere, Kea is sitting at her kitchen table drinking hot chocolate with her best friend, who is sitting in the seat across from her. "Come on, Izzy," Kea begins, pointing her finger down at the infamous Strangetown Monthly magazine cover, "you can't honestly tell me that this doesn't bother you."

Isabella sets down her mug of cocoa and sighs, meeting Kea's acute gaze, "Of course it bothers me, Kea," she caves, "but I don't want to add any more stress onto Vidcund's life. He's having a hard enough time as it is with this. And this is only the second time that this has happened."

"Well, you got that right. And the pictures from the first scandal aren't that flattering either," Kea remarks as she scrolls through the image search results on her cell phone. She clicks on one of the images, her eyes widening like saucers at the photo, "Whoa! Yeah…I'm just going to pretend that I did not just see your boyfriend's junk…or your nemesis's breasts," she states, setting her cell phone back down on the table. Kea leans forward, taking one last peek at the photo, "God, she's got nice cans."

"Kea!" Isabella squeaks, snatching the cell phone off the table and swiftly turning off the screen, her face bright red. Isabella sighs as she brings her hands up to her aching forehead, "Well, I'm never going on the internet again."

Fifteen minutes later, Isabella is standing on Kea's front porch giving her friend a goodbye hug before heading back to her newest residence to clean up one of Pascal's daily messes. "Thanks for the company, Kea. I'll see you later-"

Isabella swiftly turns on her heel, almost knocking into Ripp in the process. Her ex-boyfriend stops in place, holding a package he just picked up from the corner of Tank and Kea's driveway. Ripp sets the package on the porch and gives Isabella a small wave.

"Wow. Fancy meeting you here," Ripp says, staring into Isabella's bland, gray eyes. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Yeah, me neither," Isabella replies, feeling her heart pounding loudly in her chest.

Ripp cocks his forehead, "You haven't seen yourself?" he asks jokingly, a playful tone in his voice.

Isabella chuckles, her nerves dropping from a seven to a three in moments. "Yes," she smirks, "Have you seen her?"

"Well, not lately, but…if you do see Isabella, tell her that she really needs to see the incredible view from my house," Ripp smiles, "In fact, she can see it now if she'd like."

Isabella steps back, shocked by Ripp's rather sudden request. She turns to the side, glancing briefly at the Curious residence before staring back at her ex with an answer. Isabella nods, "Alright."

…

Five hours later, Crystal is walking down the Road to Nowhere, her mind still reeling over Chloe's accusation. " _It can't be, this can't be true,_ " Crystal mind states as she continues down the desert road in the hopes of clearing her head, " _I don't really like him, do I? Is that even possible?_ "

Crystal stops in her tracks only to find herself at the gate in front of Olive Specter's old residence – the very place where Loki had tackled her to the ground to save her from the mine months prior. Crystal shakes her head, hoping to dissipate this memory.

Crystal continues walking, gazing up at the horizon. She stops in place when she finds herself face to face with the signature, medieval-styled residence – the very one that Loki had grown up in and that she had confronted him in a few months before. Crystal bites her lip, her mind flashing to the moment she physically pulled Loki away from that painful part of his past. Crystal swallows, a tense knot forming in the pit of her stomach.

Finally, Crystal walks by the alleyway which features the superhero portrait of Vidcund that Jenny had painted in the midst of the Strangetown War. Crystal turns towards the alleyway and stands in silence, three months worth of memories washing over her, flooding her mind. She looks to the left, a nearly-translucent Loki from three months ago flashing into existence as Crystal sees an equally-translucent version of herself to the right. Past Crystal is dressed in her classic, everyday attire and is winded after denouncing Loki in a grand display in front of the entire town.

Past Loki steps towards her, dressed in his signature solid red and black spiky Criminal Mastermind suit and armed to kill. Past Crystal backs up in fear, walking on her hands and feet to a nearby trashcan, her entire life flashing before her eyes as she stares up at the man who is about to finish her off. Loki steps towards her and stops in place, his alien army behind him. He briefly scans the area, pretending that he doesn't see her, and turns back to his troops. "Move out," he commands, his army leaving without a second thought.

Loki turns his back to Past Crystal, who is now peeking out from behind the trashcan once Loki's troops have left the pair in isolation. "You're becoming a nuisance for me, Vu," Loki mutters, clasping his hands behind his back as he stares up at the painting of Vidcund.

"Then why won't you just finish me off?" Past Crystal wonders, just now finding her voice as she asks the question she's been wondering this whole war, "Why are you letting me live?"

Loki turns to Past Crystal, his eyes filled with sorrow and loneliness. "Why do you think?" he states. His tone is flat, but his expression is sincere. Past Crystal watches in stunned silence as Loki exits the premises, leaving her alone once more. Crystal doesn't know why, but for the first time ever, she could've sworn she saw a hint of sympathy in his eyes.

Crystal steps back from the alleyway, her mind spinning over the flashback daydream scene that she just witnessed. Crystal looks down at the ground and sighs before staring up at the clouds with newfound determination. She treks down the Road to Nowhere, a feeling of pure relief coming over her. After three months of complicated and confusing feelings, she now knows what she must do.

…

"You're dumping me?" Lazlo squeaks from the doorway of the Curious residence as he stares out at the woman who he had planned to break up with that morning.

Crystal nods, "Look, Lazlo. It's not that I don't like you, it's just – I don't think we're right for each other," Crystal explains, surprisingly calm and collective during this whole breakup speech, "You want to mess around and I just want something serious. It's no use trying to fight it. We should just accept that we're two different people who are better off as friends."

Lazlo watches stunned as Crystal gives a small wave goodbye before turning on her heel and strolling off the premises. Pascal walks up behind his youngest brother and pats him consoling on the shoulder, the pair watching as Crystal takes off down the hill, a spring in her step.

"And you were worried about breaking _her_ heart," Pascal states smugly as Lazlo continues to revel over the absurdity of what just happened.

…

Later that evening, Ripp and Isabella are sitting on the roof of Ripp's residence staring up at the collection of stars that are sprinkled throughout Strangetown's thick, black sky. Ripp smiles as he stares down at Isabella, who is still in awe by the Taurus constellation that she spotted a mere moment ago. "Izzy?" Ripp states, his voice barely hovering over a whisper as he mentally prepares himself to ask something he always wanted to know but never dared to bring up before this juncture, "Do you ever think what it would've been like if you and I had ended up together?" he wonders, his tone warm and honest.

Despite the heaviness of the question, Isabella hardly budges. "After all the craziness that's been happening to me lately, I'd be lying if I told you that the thought hadn't crossed my mind," she sighs as she continues staring up at Taurus.

Ripp nods and gazes at the woman who broke his heart two and a half months ago. "Isabella, you know it doesn't have to be like this," Ripp reminds her, the wind gently blowing around them, "You know that I still want you, and I would take you back in a heartbeat."

Isabella slowly turns towards him, kicking herself for even thinking this proposition over. She bites her lip, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. An immense amount of guilt washes over her as she immediately thinks of Vidcund. Isabella stands up on the roof, her eyes not leaving Ripp's gaze.

"This is wrong," she flatly states, "I shouldn't be here. I love Vidcund."

Ripp watches as Isabella hops down from the roof, the recent graduate following suit. He stops her at the doorway, feeling his heart break once again. "So, this is it, huh?" he wonders, doing his best to keep his emotions at bay, "You really want to be with him?"

Isabella gazes back at Ripp and nods, not saying a word. Ripp sighs and takes a step away from her, letting her go. Isabella walks through the exit, pushing the door open with her palm. Ripp watches as she disappears down the Road to Nowhere, leaving his life once more.

…

"No," Circe states firmly, staring down at her distressed ex, who is standing on her front porch begging for mercy, "I'm not going to stop releasing the photos," she smirks, basking in Vidcund's discomfort.

"Come on, Circe," Vidcund pleads, the front porch light piercing into his soul, "What happened to keeping things civil for our daughter?"

"Well, it dawned on me shortly afterward that because she's two, she won't remember a thing," Circe remarks, folding her arms over her torso, "And if she were to eventually find out about this little scandal, she'll just grow up thinking Daddy is a horny loser."

Vidcund cocks his forehead at this news, "You're in the pictures too."

"True," Circe responds, "but I'm not the mayor of city who's dating someone five years younger."

"I don't understand," Vidcund continues, holding his hand above his head in the hopes of saving his eyesight, "Why are you doing this?"

"Oh Vidcund," Circe tisks, "You are such an idiot. Did you really think you could play with fire and not get burned? You know, I used to have two men who worshipped the ground I walked on. It was a glorious time in my life, and nothing would please me more than to go back to it-"

"Forget it," Vidcund utters, "That is never going to happen. I told you that I'm done with you, and you can't blackmail me into being your boyfriend!" he barks, feeling something inside of him snap. Vidcund huffs and takes off down the front steps.

"But what if I told you it wasn't for me?" Circe calls out after him, "What if I told that it's what's best for your girlfriend?"

Vidcund stops in his tracks and slowly turns back to Circe, his face filled with suspicion and uncertainty. "What do you mean?" he wonders.

"Come on, Vidcund, you know how this story goes. You know you could never be in a committed relationship. You're just stringing her along, whether you know it or not."

"That's not true," Vidcund fires back, taking a step towards Circe as he throws his arm out to the side, "I was ready to commit to you."

"Please!" Circe rolls her eyes at the sky, "That's only because you _knew_ I was unobtainable. You knew I was never going to leave Loki, so you made promises you were sure you couldn't keep!"

"Don't pretend like you're trying to look out for me, Circe," Vidcund shouts, fire in his eyes, "There's only one person whose best interests you care about, and we both know that it's you!"

Circe nods, characteristically unfazed by his outburst, "Maybe. But with Isabella's well-being at stake, is that really a risk you want to take?"

Vidcund stops in his tracks. Circe beams as the mayor is stunned to silence, "Yeah, that's what I thought," she smirks, giving Vidcund a rough pat on the back before stepping backwards towards the front archway, "Come back here when you're ready to quit kidding yourself, Vidcund," she coos, the young man's gaze falling to the floor, "After all, we know you'll always come back to me."

…

Meanwhile, Loki is sitting on the living room sofa rereading the last twenty pages of Crystal's latest purchase, a Romance novel entitled, _In Love with Your Lust: Torborg and Eleven Angry Men_. All of a sudden, Crystal bursts through the front door and cruises over to him, the townie jubilant but severely out of breath.

"Whoa," Loki mutters, quickly closing the novel and hiding it behind a nearby pillow alongside its companion novel, _Finding Your Inner Succubus: You can do it, too!_ , before Crystal can judge him for it, "What the hell happened to you?"

"I like you," Crystal declares as clear as day as she gazes down at her housemate.

Loki stands up from the couch, unable to believe what he is hearing, " _What_?"

"I like you, Loki," Crystal repeats, still just as sure of this as she was when she first said it to him, "And I want you to be my boyfriend."

Loki hugs his body and turns his back to her, trembling slightly at her confession. "No," he states definitively.

" _No_?"

"No," Loki repeats, speaking into the carpet, "You were right the first time. If we got together, I would just drag you down with me."

Crystal steps forward, still in disbelief by his reaction. "So, that's it? You don't like me anymore?" she squeaks, feeling weaker by the moment, "Cause it's only been a week!"

"Of course I still like you, Crystal," Loki confesses, turning towards his friend as she approaches him, "But this is a bad situation that would not end well for you. It's in everyone's best interest to just forget about it."

"But I don't want to forget about it," Crystal assures him, her eyes watering at the mere suggestion, "I like you, Loki. I really do." Crystal reaches forward and grabs his hands, causing Loki to immediately step backward and retreat from her, quickly shaking his hands in front of his chest.

"You don't want to do this. Trust me, you and I are not the same," Loki tells her through baited breath, "You are so far above me. And if we dated, the people out there will never accept us!" Loki exclaims, gesturing towards the front door, "Run while you still can."

Crystal advances once more, reaching her hand out, "Loki-"

Loki steps back again, his world spinning a mile a minute as he stares up at her in agony, "Crystal, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you don't really like me. You can't. It isn't possible. I mean, do you honestly expect me to believe that you achieved something that no woman has before?" he wonders, astonished that Crystal keeps moving towards him, "I don't have anything. I'm not rich anymore. I can't advance your career, I-"

Loki pauses, in awe that nothing appears to be keeping her from him. Crystal stops in front of him, the pair now a mere three inches away from each other. Crystal lifts her hand up and gently caresses the side of his face as she gazes at Loki with an emotion that he has never seen directed at him before: Love.

Crystal leans forward and passionately kisses him, the latter allowing himself to melt in Crystal's arms as she wraps them amorously around him and pulls him into an affectionate embrace. Loki sighs, blushing profusely as he follows her lead, his whole body quivering as the couple holds each other.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Loki whispers, holding her at arm's length to gaze into his crush's eyes, "Cause once you do this, you can't go back."

Crystal gazes up at him, never looking more sure of anything in her life as the pair face one another in the dimly-lit living room.

"Yes," Crystal whisper-exclaims, her body filling with excitement for their newfound relationship. Crystal beams as she takes a few steps back and delicately pulls Loki forward by the hand, "Come here."

"Where are we going?" Loki asks, tilting his forehead wondrously.

Crystal smirks as she leads Loki to the entrance of her bedroom, "Disneyland," she smirks.

Loki sighs, already feeling himself growing weak in the knees, "Oh man…" he moans.


End file.
